Looking through the Broken Mirror
by PhantomGypsy13
Summary: Ten long years have passed since Erika last saw Christopher, but when an unexpected letter brings him to Coney Island, how will she deal with him, especially since Nadir loves her as well and her daughter starts to figure out who her father might be?
1. Ten Years Later

_**The following story is a sequel to Looking Through the Mirror. I highly encourage you to read it before reading this one.**_

* * *

It has been ten long years since Erika Destler left the Palais Garnier. Although life had treated her surprisingly well, including a very successful theater in Coney Island called the Fantôme Theater, the wonderful support from Madame Giry, Meg and Nadir, and even a beautiful daughter named Diana, she felt something was missing in her life: Christopher. Although, she left so that he could have the life he deserved with a woman who would provide for him, it had crossed her mind whether she should come out of hiding and try to find him, but she always told herself not to. She did this for a reason and she'll stick to it, no matter how much it hurt her.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on her office door and a male voice saying, "Fantôme, can I come in?"

"Who is it," she asked as she shuffled through countless papers. As a manager of a theater, her workload was high and she has found new respect for the two foolish managers who ran the Palais Garnier back in France all those years ago.

"It's me, Nadir." At the sound of his name, she got up from her desk and opened the door. She saw a wealthy Persian man with a pearly white smile on his face. He smelled of spices from his shop by the Fantôme Theater and he had a bouquet of roses in his hand. After work, he would always come to Erika and spend some time with her, despite her unreturned feelings for him. She always said her heart still belonged to Christopher, but it didn't stop him from trying to win her heart. "How are you, my love," he said as he gave her a hug. A kiss would have gone too far, even if it was on the cheek.

"Busy, as usual, but I've told you many times that you don't have to call me Fantôme. I only want my coworkers to call me that. Would you like anything to drink," she said with a sweet tone.

"Do you have wine?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll have some of that," he said as he handed her the bouquet. She smiled as she put them in a recently emptied vase. He always gave her flowers every week, whether they were daisies, chrysanthemums, or tulips, but once in a while, he would give her roses, which only meant one thing.

"So, you want to take me out to dinner tonight," she asked as she gave him a glass of red wine.

"Yes I would. Is that all right with you?"

"Well, of course, but I wanted to spend some time with Diana today. It's been a while since the two of us had any alone time since I've been extremely busy lately."

"Well, would you like to take her with us?"

"Would that be okay with you? I know you meant for it to be a date-,"

"Of course it would be fine. You know I love Diana like if she were my own child and would be more than happy to take her with us. After all, the restaurant I have in mind is by Phantasma."

"Phantasma? Why there," she asked with curiosity. Ever since she met Erik about seven years ago, she has become good friends with the masked man, who, unfortunately, shared her tale of love and loss. She offered him a job at her theater and just this year, he decided to make his "world" with attractions and concert halls galore. She has taken Diana to the wonderful place and she has always loved it. Even the Girys work there sometimes since they too knew Erik. After the Palais Garnier burned down, they decided to work at the new and improved Opera Populaire, but they had to endure the same tragedy all over again with another disfigured soul.

"Well, I can't tell you, my dear," he said as he took a sip of the wine.

"Why? What are you hiding," she teased.

He chuckled. "You'll figure it out when we get there."

Soon, they heard a knock and the door opened. Inside came in a beautiful little girl who was ten years old. She had dark brown hair, fair skin and blue and green eyes that were so hard to resist. She could have been like any other child, but what makes her unique was a slight scar running across her face. This scar, which Erika feared would give her daughter trouble, was given to her at birth, but Diana viewed it as a birthmark and embraced it. "Mother, are you in here?"

"Yes I am, darling," Erika said as she hugged her dear daughter. "Nadir is taking us out for dinner. How does that sound?"

"Where are we going," she asked with a smile.

"We are going to Phantasma, little one."

Diana jumped with excitement when she heard where they were headed. "Mother, can we go on all the rides and see some shows?"

"We'll see, Diana," she said as gave her daughter a kiss on her forehead. She turned to Nadir and said, "What are we waiting for?" With those words, Nadir held out his arm and she put her arm around it while her other hand held her daughter's.

* * *

As they arrived to Phantasma, Diana's eyes lit up as she saw everything that she could ever want in this one place. There were rides that sent chills and excitement through her spine. The people that worked there were very interesting people, especially with dwarves, bearded ladies, freaks, human oddities, and people with unusual talents. The buildings within were very extravagant, including one concert hall that could have been mistaken for an opera house. This place was marvelous and Diana was trying to get out of her mother's grasp to look at all the sights, but Erika said, "Not now. Once we have dinner, you are allowed to look around." They finally arrived to a restaurant by the enormous concert hall and Nadir showed her into a room far away from the other customers.

They arrived to a door which Nadir opened and they could hear multiple voices saying, "Surprise!" Inside the room were three very special people: Madame Giry, Meg, and even Erik. She and Diana gave hugs to the three of them while Nadir shook hands with them.

"What is all this about," Erika asked with surprise.

"Don't you know? It's been ten years since we first met," Nadir said with a smile. Although he, Diana, and Erik had smiles on their face, Madame Giry, Meg, and Erika had fake smiles on theirs. It was also the tenth year anniversary of her leaving France and, most of all, Christopher. "Please, have a seat," he said as he pulled out a chair for her. She sat in the chair and he did the same for Diana.

"Nadir invited us for the special night and we were fortunate enough to not be busy today," Meg said. "Thank you, Mister Y."

Erik smiled. "You're welcome, Meg. After all, you performed so lovely at your last show that I decided to give you a break just for tonight."

"Fantôme, I made sure that you were caught up with paperwork so you could enjoy dinner and maybe even more and not worry about it," Madame Giry said.

"Thank you," she said with a smile, but it soon faded.

"How about we get some drink for all of us," Nadir said as he flagged a waiter.

Throughout dinner, a feeling of uneasiness filled the air, but Diana and Nadir were oblivious to it. Erika didn't eat much of her meal and instead let Diana and Nadir eat off her plate. The Girys and Erik started to notice her behavior and they knew exactly what the matter was. "I can't believe it has been ten years already," she finally said as dessert arrived. Each person received a fruit-filled crepe with lines of melted chocolate on top. Erika ate the crepe with haste while the others took their time.

"I can't believe it either, but I wouldn't trade these years for anything. I've met some interesting friends, reunited with an old one, and even met the love of my life and her beautiful daughter," he said as he placed his arm around her, but she shook it off. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing; I just have a lot on my mind," she said before she took the last bite of her crepe. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to show Diana around. Erik, would you mind accompanying me?"

"Of course; I've added a few more attractions that I'm sure Diana would love to see," he said as he got up from his seat and walked to them.

"I'll come too," Nadir said as he got up, but was stopped by Madame Giry.

"Can we talk to you for a bit," she said. When he sat back down, she asked, "Were you aware of her uneasiness throughout dinner?"

"Uneasiness? Why, what's the matter?"

"You realize that it is also been ten years since she left France and her love, Chris-."

"I don't want to hear his name tonight, please. If he truly cared for her, he would have left his wife a long time ago and looked for her."

"She told him to stay with his wife," Meg explained. "She thought that it was best for him and he did try to find her before he married, but he did as she wished and got married."

"He hurt her once, so why would she want was best for him?"

"They didn't tell each other how they felt. It was just one big misunderstanding that led into a huge fiasco. I'm just glad that she has finally found happiness," Madame Giry said.

"Happiness? You just said she wasn't. Christopher brings her painful memories and I won't allow him to hurt her again or even Diana."

"Don't worry, he won't find them unless he knew she was here, but you know how she feels for him. They are married, after all."

"No they're not. They were not in front of a priest, a sheik, or anybody with that power to unite them in matrimony. She is still a free woman and I would like to be her other half."

"It's been ten years, Nadir. If her love hasn't faded for this long, what makes you think that it will anytime soon," Meg asked.

"I'll just have to try harder. Eventually, she'll learn to love me," he said as he got up and headed out.

When he exited the building, he checked to see if the three of them were around, but they must have traveled deep within Phantasma. He was about to walk forward, but he heard a voice say, "Psst." He turned around and saw a woman with brown hair and green eyes hiding behind the building, but signaling him to come to her.

He walked up to the woman and said, "Annabel Lee, what are you doing here? You know I have a dinner date with Fantôme and we both know how much she despises you."

"I know, but I finally got tomorrow's paper with the article you wanted," she said as she handed him a newspaper.

"You finally got someone to write the story," he asked as he grabbed it out of her hands and hid it in his jacket.

"I gave him a good shave and he was willing to do whatever I wanted. So much can be done with just a razor," she said with a wicked smile. "Show her that tomorrow and I assure you that she will be putty in your hands."

"Thank you, Annabel," he said as he gave her a hug and left her side to find Erika.

* * *

"You looked uneasy at dinner. Are you all right," Erik asked. They were sitting at the back row of a magic show while Diana and other children watched from the front row.

"It's just . . . it has been ten years since I left Christopher. I can't believe I've endured ten long years without giving up and going back to him," she said. "I mean, how have you managed all these years without Christine?"

At the sound of her name, he became silent, but said, "I've pretty much feel the same as you, but I don't think she feels the same for me as Christopher does for you. He would have stopped his wedding for you."

"And you think she wouldn't, especially after everything at that manor? I mean, she . . . well, you know," she said with her cheeks blushing. "I believe she does feel the same. You are just too stubborn to realize it."

They both laughed, but he said, "So, what would you do if he just happened to show up? I mean, he's a traveling performer and has performed all over the European continent. Sooner or later, he'll find out about Phantasma or even Fantôme Theater and would want to perform there."

"I would try to avoid him as much as possible. Even though he's been married for ten years, he might still leave her to be with me. He could still perform, but I would probably make Madame Giry the manager of my theater for the time being."

"What about Diana? Should she learn the truth about her father or is she going to believe Nadir is her father?"

"She doesn't think he's her father. I've told her that her father is a performer in France. Although she has begged me countless times for us to go to France to find him, I've told her that we can't because we are both too busy. She has seen how much work I have to do and I bet he wouldn't have any time for a little girl he just met."

"Maybe he will when he learns that she's his."

"No, I can't allow that. The last thing I would want to do is trap him because we have a child and then he'll feel obligated to be with me. Besides, I'm pretty sure he would have children of his own by now. I don't need to be involved with his life," she said as she held back the tears forming in her eyes. They watched the magic show and the magician performed his final trick, leaving the children in amazement. They all clapped and once the show was over, Diana walked up to her mother, but she noticed her mother was holding back tears.

"What the matter, mother," she asked sweetly.

"Nothing's the matter. Let's go see the next attraction. Mister Y has more to show us," she said as she grabbed her daughter's soft hand and headed outside.

* * *

Nadir, Erika, and Diana headed for the Fantôme Theater where the two women lived in a secret room within the theater. Throughout their walk, Nadir and Erika didn't talk much, but Diana did. In fact, she couldn't keep her excitement to herself. "Did you see the guy who swallowed a real sword? Oh, how about that roller coaster? I was so scared when I rode on it at first, but I loved it! Oh, how about-," Diana said before she was interrupted.

"You got to see a lot today," Nadir said as he patted her head. "You can tell me all about it tomorrow." They finally arrived to the theater and it was dark since it was far past closing time. Even Monte, who ran the ticket booth, was not at his post and he was the very last person to leave. Erika took the keys out her pocket and pulled out the gold key to put in the lock, but once it was open, Nadir said, "Can we talk in private?"

"Can't we talk in the morning," she said as politely as she could.

"No, I need to talk to you now," he said.

"Diana, can you wait for me in the office. Once we're done, I'll take us home," she said. Diana nodded and she ran off inside.

"The Girys had to remind me that you left France the same day we met," he said. Her eyes looked at him with discomfort. "It was also the same day you left . . . _him_." He hated saying his name. He felt he didn't deserve her and the fact that she still claimed that she loved him made his blood boil.

"You can at least say his name. It's clear you have hated him for all these years, but you don't even know him at all. He's different from what you think of him," she said with anger in her voice.

"Is he? Why hasn't he come for you?"

"I've told you this maybe a million times: I told him to stay away from me so he could have a happy life and marriage. I couldn't afford to cause him misery if he were with me."

"What misery would you have given him? All he did was hurt you!"

"He hurt me once and that was because I didn't tell him how I felt!"

"Stop pretending that it was your fault that he hurt you. You sound like one of those submissive wives that make excuses for their abusive husbands! If he loved you, he wouldn't have hurt you!"

"I'm not pretending to do anything! If you met him, you would understand why I loved him and still do. I'm very grateful for everything you have done for me and Diana, but you can't persuade my heart to love you. I'm sorry," she said as she entered the theater and closed the door, locking it in the process. Nadir cursed under his breath as he headed to his shop a few blocks away. The shop, which was really a house converted into a store, had an elegant look to it. It was a double-story home with a recently well-done paint job that differed from the houses on the block. It was black with gold-trim around the doors and windows and there was a sign saying "Trading Post's Spices".

He entered the building and once he closed the door, he lied against the door and wiped his face with his hands. Tonight did not go as expected. It was dark inside since all the candles were blown out and he hasn't installed any electricity in his home yet, but who would want to buy his spices at night? "You're home earlier than expected," a voice said from upstairs. Nadir looked up and could see the only light in the entire building and holding that light was his servant, Darius. He was another Persian man, but he was noticeably shorter than Nadir and he was wearing a black robe, as if he just got out of bed when he heard him enter.

"She is still a stubborn woman. She truly thinks that she is in love with him."

"Even after all these years? I mean, you would think she would have grown out of those feelings by now. I can bet you that he has."

After hearing those words, Nadir looked up at Darius and smiled the biggest smile he probably has ever smiled. "Darius, you are a genius!"

"I am?"

"He is a married man and has probably given all his love to his wife and possible children. You can't be married for ten years without having a child! He has to have grown out of his feelings for her and matured! We need to show her that!"

"How do we do that," Darius asked as he walked down the stairs.

"How about we bring him here? If it involves Erika, he will certainly be here, that is, if he still cares. If he does, she can see how much he's changed and recant her love for him and if he doesn't, well, that will prove to her that he doesn't love her anymore. Get a sheet of paper and some ink! I've got some writing to do," Nadir said. Darius did as he was told and quickly found paper and ink for Nadir's use. Once they were found, he set them by the counter of the store and he put the candle close to it so his master could see. Nadir grabbed the ink pen and quickly started writing down:

 _Dear Monsieur Daaé and family,_

 _My name is Fantôme and I have heard you were a traveling performer and you have a gifted voice that has entertained and amazed people from all around the European continent. I would like to invite you to my Fantôme Theater in Coney Island, America and would be very happy to meet the man that has been called a gift from the heavens, especially since I read that you were inspired by an angel. We can pay you for your visit and if you are willing, maybe you can perform for me and my fans. I hope to see you soon._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Fantôme_

"Please send this letter to the post office at once," Nadir said as he sealed the letter in an envelope and handed it to Darius. Luckily for them, he has found Christopher's address a long time ago if he ever needed to send something to him, but he never thought of actually inviting him to be part of Erika's life again.

"Yes sir," Darius said as he left the shop, leaving Nadir to close the door. However, when he walked outside, he noticed that his next door neighbor, an excellent barber, was exiting her building as well. She had a robe on as well, but that was just a cover. In her hand, she had a razor, but it had streaks of red on it.

"You just had a customer, I presume, Annabel," Nadir said.

She quickly turned around with the razor ready in her hand, but took a breath of relief when she saw who it was. "Nadir, don't scare me like that, but yes, I did. The poor bastard didn't even have a chance, but why did you send your friend out this late at night," she asked.

"I asked him to send a letter for me."

"A letter? To whom," she asked as she walked to him. As she got closer, he noticed her lips were a deep shade of red, but it wasn't from lipstick.

"To my rival," he said.

Her eyes widened with surprise. She also knew about his hatred for Christopher, maybe even more than Erika could know. He would come by to her shop once in a while for a shave and he would tell her about his quest for her heart and she said she would help him, but only if he could get Christopher to get a shave. Once he was there, well, Nadir wouldn't have to worry about a rival anymore. Plus, she was great at hiding evidence. It was her job and her favorite dinner. "Why would you send him a letter?"

"I asked him to come to Coney Island and meet Fantôme," he said, but was soon slapped on his cheek. "Ow, what was that for?"

"Are you a freaking idiot?! Why would you do that?"

"I was thinking that she could finally see that he isn't the man she fell in love with," he said as he cupped his red cheek.

"But what if he still is that man or maybe even better than she remembered? Once they meet, there is no chance for you to win her heart!" He finally realized his mistake and tried running after Darius, but she stopped him. "There's no point now. By now, he's probably already sent it."

"Then what do I do? Allah, I'm such an idiot," he said as he smacked his forehead.

"Yes you are, but we have to prevent them from meeting if he does decide to show up. Lucky for you, she says she wants to make sure that they never see each other so he won't leave his wife and family. That can buy us some time so I can work my wonders," she said as she put the razor up to her sight. The red shined brightly with the dim light from the lamps above them.

"Well, what are the odds of him coming anyway? I mean, he probably has a busy schedule and can't make it out here."

"Let's hope so, Nadir. Well, excuse me while I make dinner, or breakfast, or whatever meal it is now."

"You're going to eat this late?"

"Yes. I like my meals fresh and he decided to show up late," she said as she walked away and headed inside her building, locking the door as she entered. Nadir shook his head. He met quite an unusual woman with distasteful tastes. He just hoped she never craved him the same way she craved her customers.

* * *

 _ **Right now, I am writing a story that has been hinted within this story: Erik at the Phantom Manor. It will further explain how Erik and Erika met and go deeper in Erik's backstory (like you don't know it by now). Also,**_ ** _there is a character in this story (Annabel Lee) from another story called A Close Shave. If you want to know her backstory, go ahead and read it, but be warned that it is rated M._**


	2. The Letter Brought Him Here

"Christopher, there's something in the mail for you," Rachel Daaé said as she handed her husband a letter. He was sitting on his sofa, reviewing some sheet music for a show he was going to perform in three month's time. It was just a simple song, nothing more than that. He hasn't performed an actual opera for years, especially since his most notable performance was Don Juan Triumphant and we all know how that went down.

He put down the sheet music and turned to his beautiful wife. She was cheery with her very elegant black and white dress, especially since it was his favorite dress on her. He smiled and asked, "From whom?"

"I don't know. There is no return address, but the postage stamps are from America. I wonder how they got your address."

"I'm a famous person, my dear. Someone must have found out, even at such a faraway distance," he said as he grabbed the letter. Just as she said, there was no return address, but could see multiple postal stamps, one being from a state called New York. He opened the letter and the first thing he noticed was the greeting: _Dear Monsieur Daaé and family_. He sighed.

"What's wrong," she asked with concern. She peaked at the letter in his hand and saw the greeting, but she was filled with bitter feelings. "I guess they haven't heard about my inability to . . . ," she said as she fought back tears. He put down the letter and hugged his dear wife. The last few years weren't as happy as he hoped. First, her brother died at the hands of a madman at the Opera Populaire, but his cousin Christine said it was all a big misunderstanding. Second, the Opera Populaire, which was supposed to be the better version of the Palais Garnier, suffered the same fate as its predecessor. It too burned down to the ground about seven years ago and it led everyone to believe that France was filled with phantoms. It caused a huge hysteria, but it has finally died down when there was no more strange occurrences. Third, they had to learn the sad fact that Rachel could not procreate. She was barren and couldn't give birth to any children. It was a difficult for her to accept it, but she finally did. The planned to adopt soon, but they haven't looked too much into it since he was always so busy with his performances. This was the first time in a long time that he had a break.

"It's all right, Rachel. Go ahead and make some tea for yourself. I'm sure you'll need something to calm your nerves," he said lovingly. She smiled and walked away to the kitchen. He continued reading the letter. "Fantôme? What an unusual name, even if it is a pseudonym. Coney Island? What an unusual place. I've only heard rumors of the oddities they have there." As he continued reading, he froze as he read, "I read that you were inspired by an angel". How did this Fantôme person know about his Angel of Music? Was that just a wild guess or did this person truly know? No, it couldn't have been a coincidence! This person must have known or at least seen . . .

"I made some jasmine tea. Would you like some," Rachel said as she carried a tray of tea cups and a pot to the table in front of Christopher.

"S-Sure," he said hesitantly.

She noticed his uneasiness and asked, "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing's the matter," he said as he poured himself some tea and drank it. "How would you feel about traveling to America?"

Her eyes widened at his question. "I wouldn't mind at all, but why do you ask?"

"This letter says a person by the name of Fantôme wants to hire me to perform something for his or her theater."

"Oh, that's great, my darling! How much are they going to pay you?"

"I don't know. It didn't say."

"Well, I hope it's a lot. We've got to keep bread on the table somehow," she said with a small smile. "When should we leave?"

"So, you're willing to go?"

"Of course! I would go anywhere for my dear husband. Besides, maybe you can convince that manager to let you perform an actual opera! That way, he or she has to pay you more money. We can pack our things tonight and leave first thing in the morning. Oh, this will be exciting," she said as she quickly left his side and headed for their bedroom to pack her things. He smiled, but returned back to the letter. Eventually, he was done reading it and sighed.

"I hope this is a clue and you'll be there, Erika."

* * *

The morning after the visit to Phantasma was filled with whispers from cast members and prop managers. Whenever Fantôme went on a date with Nadir, they always tried to figure out what happened. For ten years, he has courted her. Ten years! At this point, they could have married and had three kids. "I don't see why she doesn't allow herself to love him," an Italian man named a Monte said.

"Maybe he is not courting her the right way," a Spanish woman named Bianca said.

"How bad does he have to be for her not to fall in love with him?"

"Pretty bad, apparently."

"Don't y'all remember that she's married? She has a weddin' ring on her finger," a westerner named Jackson said.

"Then where is her husband," Monte asked.

"Who knows?"

"Do you think his last date went well," Bianca asked.

"I doubt it. I heard the two of them argue outside the theater," a French woman named Samara said. Yes, this was the same Samara that Erika had to replace during Don Juan Triumphant, but Erika saw that she had potential and offered her job at the Fantôme Theater. Lucky for her, Samara never saw her face or heard her voice, so she wouldn't know that Erika was the Phantom of the Opera.

"How did ya hear," Jackson said.

"I was the last one to leave, but I was close enough to hear them talk. I decided to eavesdrop and from what I heard, it didn't go well at all."

"Well, let's hope the next one will finally get her to love him," a cockney woman named Wendy said.

"What are you five talking about," a voice said. They all turned in fear and saw Fantôme looking right at them.

"We weren't talking about anything important," Monte lied.

"Are you sure? It seems you five are way too interested in my love life, or lack thereof."

"Is it wrong to be curious," Wendy asked, fearing her reaction.

She laughed. "I suppose not as long as it doesn't interfere with work. I want Jackson, Bianca, and Samara on stage in ten minutes and Wendy; I want you to make sure there aren't any props missing."

"Yes, Fantôme," the four of them said as they scurried off.

"Monte, how were ticket sales last week. I forgot to check on that," she said as she walked to him.

"Everything's fine. We've actually made more money than the week before. Though, it hasn't been our best month, I'm sure the tickets will sell out at next month's debut show."

"Thank you, Monte. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important business I need to attend to in my office," she said as she walked away.

After a while of filling out papers and dealing with bills, Erika could hear the cast rehearse a new production written by Fantôme herself. It was to debut in about two weeks and a lot of preparations had to be made before then. The costumes were almost finished and there were one or two sceneries still being painted. The lines and musical numbers were rehearsed many times already that the musical, or that's what people called her non-operatic shows, was memorized like the back of every staff's hands.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door, but she didn't respond since she knew who was behind the door. "Fantôme, can I come in?"

"I'm a little busy right now. Could you please come at another time," she said. However, she heard the doorknob move and somehow, the locked door opened and Nadir walked in. "What the hell? I thought I locked it!"

"I might have stolen a key from Madame Giry, but I have some news for you," Nadir said as he showed her a newspaper.

She took the paper out of his hand and asked, "What did you want to show me?"

"It's on page 3," he instructed. She turned the page and looked carefully at the page. It took a while for her to find the article he was talking about, but when she found it, she covered her mouth in shock.

 _A tragedy hits the European and Asian continents alike as one of their finest circus, Freaks of Nature, has burned to the ground on January 21 of this year. According to witnesses and performers of the circus, their last show was "one to remember", but not for the right reason as the Ring of Fire accidentally fell, causing it to fall toward the audience and quickly spreading the fire within the tent-covered attraction. However, firefighters could not extinguish the flames in time as the rest of the circus soon caught fire as well. While the audience left either unscathed or with minor injuries, some performers, including the ringleader who goes by the name of the Shah, were trapped within the flames, unable to escape. When interviewed, a few of the surviving performers claimed that this fire was no accident since there was resentment within the circus, especially toward the Shah. Further investigation will take place, but it is more likely to be caused by a simple accident and nothing more._

"I . . . I don't believe this," she finally said. Tears were forming in her eyes as the nightmare that tormented her all those years ago has finally ended and in the way she would have preferred. True, she never believed that violence was the answer, but what those bastards did to her was more than deserving of such a punishment and how fitting that flames were the ones to take away their pathetic lives. Plus, she always feared that the Shah would come after her since his assassin, who knew everything about him and even his weaknesses, was no longer under his control. That's one of the reasons why she hid in the shadows, but she no longer had to hide anymore, well, other than the obvious.

"I read it this morning and I had to show it to you," Nadir said with a smile. He knew all too well of the torment of the circus and thought that this good news would definitely free her from her nightmares.

"Thank you, Nadir," she said as she gave him a tight hug. This was the happiest she has been in a very long time. For Nadir, this hug was the closest he has ever gotten to being with the woman he loved.

"You're welcome." They hugged for a while, but she quickly pushed him off. "What's wrong?"

"I've been thinking about what you've said last night. I started to doubt if Christopher would come to me if he ever knew if I was here," she started to say, but he had the biggest smile on his face.

"Does that mean you will finally open your heart to me," he said as he puckered his lips and came in close, but he was blocked by forceful hands pushing him away.

"You didn't let me finish. I have thought about it, but he and I are still, well, married, I guess, and I made a promise to him that my heart would only belong to him-,"

"You two are not married," he said as he forcefully grabbed her arms, hurting her in the process.

"Stop it, Nadir! You're scaring me," Erika said with fear in her voice.

"I have been with you for the last ten years and this is the thanks I get," he yelled with his grip getting stronger.

"Nadir, let me go," she said as she pushed him off, but she pushed him so hard that he hit the wall with a mighty force. "Oh dear. Are you all right," she said with guilt.

"I'm fine," he sharply said to her as he slowly, but surely. Without another word, he left her side and slammed the door. Erika was left in shock by what just happened.

"What is wrong with him? He's never reacted this cruelly to me," she said with a sullen face. She sighed and looked toward a large object covered by a black cloth. She walked to it and stared at it for a bit before removing the cloth, revealing a large seven-foot mirror. She smiled when she saw her reflection in the mirror. It looked like a regular mirror, but behind it was a secret world where she and her daughter loved while the others were gone. "Just like old times."

* * *

A couple of weeks after they sent the letter, Nadir and Darius were walking around town, discussing various matters, but they noticed that the harbor was exceptionally crowded today. This was usually the case when a celebrity was arriving, but it seemed that there were even more people there than usual. Nadir walked up to a reporter and asked, "Excuse me, sir, but who are you waiting for?"

"Oh, don't you know? The Daaés are coming to Coney Island! Isn't that exciting," a reporter responded with a smile on his face. However, Nadir was in utter shock. That bastard actually came! He never thought that he would show up, but he has and in a quick time too. He and Darius stayed within the crowd to see the man Erika claimed to be in love with, but it took some time. Apparently, there were more celebrities on board and each one took their time getting off the ship.

After a while of waiting, Darius suggested, "He is going to be around town for a while, so why don't we just go to the shop and wait for him to show his face?"

"This is the man she claims to be in love with. I want to see his face and see exactly what he looks like. That way, it makes it easier for me to get him to get a shave from Annabel," Nadir explained.

"I get that he is your rival and all, but is it really warranting of his death? You don't even know him and he might be a nice guy." Nadir looked at him with a cold stare and Darius had to look away to avoid his gaze.

Finally, the moment they waited arrived. The paparazzi went crazy as a couple disembarked the ship. "Christopher and Rachel Daaé, what made you two come to Coney Island? Are you going to sing for us during your stay?"

"Hopefully he will," Rachel said with a smile as she held on to his arm tighter. He smiled as well, but one question caused his smile to fade.

"So, will you keep your wife in check? I mean, you won't let her go drinking, gambling, or shopping without your permission," a young man said.

"Stop insulting my wife. She is a human being, just like anyone else! She can fall into temptation once in a while, but that doesn't mean she is a bad person," Christopher said as he hugged her for her protection. Despite his answer to that hurtful question, she still hung her head in shame.

"How can you say that after she has brought shame on your name and has brought your fortune down? Those temptations don't just happen once in a while for her. They happen all the time!"

"Excuse me, sir, but I think that is a biased statement you just made. Aren't reporters suppose to be unbiased and only report the truth," Nadir asked.

The reporter looked down and scratched his head, but eventually, he stepped back toward the back of the crowd. After some time, Christopher and Rachel couldn't handle the paparazzi any longer and started running. The crowd followed them as they ran as fast as the couple could away from them. Eventually, they managed to find Penny Street where one door was open. They ran inside and Rachel quickly locked the door. Christopher closed the curtains and they could hear the crowd running past the building they were in. They both took deep breaths since they knew they were safe. The paparazzi were always annoying to deal with, but recently, they have been more persistent than ever. Ever since word let out that the Daaés were not as rich as they were in the past, they have wondered why and whenever they could, they would ask them. It didn't help that ever since her brother died and when Rachel learned the news of her barrenness, she had fallen into alcoholism, gambling addictions, and shopping binges, but no matter how much money she spent, she was never truly happy. Although she had Christopher for support, he only managed to bring back small smiles.

"Are you here for a shave," a British woman said from upstairs. They looked toward the stairs and saw a brunette woman with green eyes in a red dress. In her hand, she was holding a shiny silver razor.

"Sorry, mademoiselle, but we had to take refuge from the crowd outside," Christopher said with a smile. The woman only pouted as she came downstairs. "So this is a barbershop, I presume?"

"Yes, but it's also my home, so unless you want a shave, I suggest you leave now. My name is Annabel Lee, by the way," she said as she shook hands with the couple. "Those stupid people won't be coming back unless they know a good story is here. Besides, they'll give up and go right back to the harbor for a desperate attempt for a story."

"Oh, well, we'll be on our way then, but can you tell us where the Fantôme Theater is," Rachel asked.

Annabel's eyes lit up. "Fantôme Theater? There isn't a show playing for a few hours. You're a bit early to try and save a seat."

"Oh, we have a request from the manager to at least watch a show. If we're lucky, we can even get my husband a job."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "Fantôme asked to see your husband? That must mean that you are Christopher Daaé, the great tenor singer!"

"Um, yes I am. I'm surprised you have heard about me," Christopher said as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

"A friend of mine wrote, _I mean_ , knows her personally. Maybe we can all get to know each other better after the show. I am dying to meet the man that owns that incredible voice. We can meet at a restaurant close to the theater. My dear friend, Nadir, can take you there after the show," she said with a smile. Fantôme is a woman, they asked in their heads.

"Oh, why don't you join us? I bet the show will be lovely if she has invited us to see it," Rachel said.

"I'm afraid that Fantôme doesn't like me very much. You see, about a year ago or so, I made her very upset and we haven't been able to get along since. It's a shame, really, since Nadir loves her, but she has never loved him back," Annabel said with a somber tone.

"Oh, that's tragic," he said. Those words seemed all too familiar to him. He couldn't imagine the pain Erika had felt when he saw the two of them kiss on that balcony all those years ago. Now, a similar fate has fallen onto another, but it couldn't be as unusual as their circumstances.

"Indeed. The poor chap has tried to win her heart for ten years, but Fantôme says her heart will always belong to another, despite he has married another." Christopher looked at her with curiously. Her heart belonged to another? Ten years ago?

"Well, I know my dear Christopher and I would be very happy to meet you at the restaurant later tonight," Rachel said as she grabbed Christopher's arm and suddenly pulled it close to her, almost making him fall.

"I'll look forward to it and if you ever want a shave, you can always stop by. My shop is always open, even in the late hours," Annabel advertised with a wicked grin.

* * *

Hours passed and it was finally time to see the show. Christopher and Rachel dressed formally and were on their way to the Fantôme Theater, but they were met by a Persian man and his servant at the front door of the theater. "Oh, you two must be Christopher and Rachel Daaé. I am Nadir and this is my servant, Darius. I believe you have met my dear friend, Annabel Lee, in her barbershop."

"Well, Nadir, nice to meet you," Christopher said as he shook the man's hand. "I'm sad to see that Annabel couldn't join us."

"Well, if she were to join us, I'm afraid her personality would cause Fantôme to ask us to leave. We'll just meet her after the show," Nadir said with a smile as he handed the couple their tickets. "Don't worry about paying me back. It's an honor just to be sitting next to the Daaés."

"Let's find our seats. We have the best seats in the house," Darius said as he opened the doors to let the three of them in. Once they found their seats on the mezzanine floor, Rachel chatted with Darius and Nadir about their trip to America from the delicious food to the many activities. However, Christopher didn't talk much. He was suspicious of Nadir, but he couldn't figure out why. He seemed to be trustworthy, but something about his eager decision to accompany them rubbed him the wrong way. The same could go for Annabel Lee. What could she have possibly done for Fantôme to hate her?

Christopher looked around a bit and enjoyed the decor inside. It was a dark building with gold trim, but candles lit the room perfectly, not too bright and not too dark. There were many paintings of famous performers ranging from musicians to singers, but what caught his eye were two paintings close to the stage. They were larger than the rest of the paintings and they had their own gold frames, indicating that these two musicians were very influential. The two men portrayed were two violinists, but the names were too familiar. The one on the right was Gustave Daaé, his father, but the one on the left was someone he wouldn't have heard of if he never found Erika at the cemetery: Giovanni Destler. He looked around a bit more and noticed that they were close to a box, but it was further out then the mezzanine floor. In fact, unless you really tried to look, it was impossible to see inside.

"That's Box 5, Fantôme's personal box. She doesn't allow anyone to sit in there except a select few," Nadir said.

Both Rachel and Christopher's eyes widened at the sound of the number. "Box 5, you say," she asked.

"I'll admit it's an odd number. It's the only box in the entire theater, but it's still number 5." She looked at her husband and he could tell what she was thinking.

He pulled her close to him and whispered, "It couldn't possibly be her. She wouldn't try to lure me here since she wanted me to be with you."

Suddenly, they heard a high-pitched voice in Box 5, saying "When will the show start?"

"Be patient, darling. It won't be long," a familiar voice said, but it wasn't heard because Nadir interrupted them. He knew if he heard her voice, he would try to see her and his plan would fall apart.

"That must be Diana," he said simultaneously to the other voice, but a lot louder.

"Who's Diana," Rachel asked.

"She is a little girl that belongs to one of the cast members. I don't remember who she belongs to, exactly," he lied.

"Why is she in Box 5 then?"

"Fantôme wants to give her a good seat to watch her mother perform," he lied. Christopher didn't fully believe that lie. He thought he was hiding something, but didn't want to interrogate him.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the show was about to start. The music started to play and the show was about a young married man and his lovely wife, but a devil lusts for the wife to the point he offers him a deal that he can give the man anything he wanted only if he could have his wife, but the man says no. In anger, the devil makes his life a living hell. He loses his job, catches a very painful disease, and soon, he and the wife must survive on the streets, but despite all this, his wife never leaves him. Normally, these circumstances would cause any other woman to leave, but she truly loves her husband. Filled with rage, the devil kidnaps the wife and takes her to hell, forcing the man to journey there to save his wife. When he does eventually meet face to face with the devil, he challenges him to a duel. If the man wins, he can have his wife and the devil must leave them alone. If the devil wins, not only will he have the wife, but he will have his soul as well. It is an old fashion sword duel and even though it seems like an unfair fight, the man wins. The devil is upset by the results, but abides by the rules of the game and accepts defeat. The wife feels bad and gives the devil a kiss on the cheek, which causes the devil to be so moved that not only does he let him go, but he lifts the curse on his life, letting them all live happily ever after.

The show itself was intriguing. There were many musical and dance numbers, but in between, there was dialogue, which differed greatly from a regular opera. Usually, it was all sung without dialogue, but this show was different. Maybe that's why so many come to see the show. It certainly caught Christopher's attention. He has seen this once before with Don Juan Triumphant.

After the show finished, everyone stood in a standing ovation. There were whistles and cheers all around. Even the little girl in Box 5 was clapping loudly and cheering for the performers on stage. He examined her cheers carefully to see who the mother of this child was, thinking she'll cheer louder for her mother, but her cheers all sounded the same. Once the cheers finally died down, Christopher said, "I'll catch up to you three in a bit. I want to speak with Fantôme."

"I wouldn't advise that. She is a very busy woman that has a lot of work to do," Nadir said.

"She sent me the letter saying that she wanted to see me. Maybe she can make some time for me," he said as he left them and into the crowd leaving the building, but he was going toward the stage.

"I hope he can convince her to let him perform here. We need the money," Rachel said with a slightly sad tone.

"Well, would the lady like something from the bar," Darius asked.

"Oh yes please. Choose whatever you think would please me. I'm not picky with my liquor."

"Understood," Darius said, but was stopped by Nadir.

"Make sure he doesn't find her," he whispered in his ear. "We both know what happens if he does."

"Yes sir," he said as he left their side to the "bar".

Once he was gone, Nadir held out his hand and said, "I don't think you would like to stay out here. I requested my servant to find Christopher and tell him well be waiting for him at the bar. Darius will meet us there."


	3. The Scheme

Christopher made it to the backstage without bumping into anyone. All the performers and musicians were busy chatting with other people and the stagehands were flirting with dancers and chorus girls. He was close to the door to the manager's office, but before he could open it, he was stopped when he heard a familiar voice. "Christopher Daaé, is that you?"

He turned around and had a huge smile on his face. "Madame Giry! I can't believe it's you," he said as he gave the older woman a hug. "How have you been? I haven't seen you for years!"

"I'm doing very well now that you are here! How are you," Madame Giry said with a slightly uncomfortable tone.

"I'm doing fine, but what are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember? My daughter and I got a job here after the Opera Populaire . . . incident. I've been working here for maybe seven years now and dear Meg has been working here too and another location sometimes when Mister Y needs her, but enough about us. What brings you here?"

"Well, I received a letter from Fantôme saying that she would like to see one of her shows and maybe even hire me for future ones. Is there any chance I could see her now," he asked with a smile.

Madame Giry gave him a troubled look and said, "I'm afraid she is very busy right now and cannot be disturbed, but you said you received a letter from Fantôme?"

"Yes, here it is," he said as he reached for his pocket and handed her the letter.

She quickly scanned the letter and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid she didn't send this. I don't know who did, but it wasn't her."

She handed him back the note and he asked her, "Well, if it wasn't her, then who could have sent it?" Madame Giry pondered at the question and couldn't think of anyone, except for maybe . . .

"Have you met a man named Nadir Khan?"

"Yes. Rachel and I are going to have dinner with him and Annabel Lee," he said with a curious face.

Her eyebrows slanted at that woman's name. "Annabel Lee? I suggest you stay away from her. Fantôme hates her with all her soul for multiple reasons, but the main one being that she runs a shady business."

"What do you mean?"

"We have noticed that some of her customers who enter her shop don't come out. I'm not sure if she's a prostitute or something worse, but I don't want you to be involved in that woman's business."

"Well, I'm only having dinner with her and Nadir. I promise that after this, I won't remain in contact with her."

"Thank you. She would appreciate that." After a while, a little girl walked by them, but she stopped as she saw the strange man speaking with Madame Giry. In a way, he was fascinated by him since he seemed so familiar to her, but she didn't know why. Who was this man? "Diana! What are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to find mother, but she's not in her office. I can't go home since I can't reach the button on the mir-," Diana tried to say, but Madame Giry shushed her.

"I'll try to get you home," she said, clearly hiding something.

Christopher stared at the little girl with uncertainty. She reminded him of someone, but couldn't figure out whom exactly. The only clues she gave him were her blue and green eyes and the long scar on her face, but he assumed she suffered an accident that gave her such a scar. "So, Diana, how did you enjoy the show," he asked finally.

She was shy at first, but said in a quiet voice, "I always love the shows mother creates."

His eyes widened as he asked, "Your mother created the show?" Diana nodded. "Wow, she must be really talented!"

"Yes she is," Madame Giry said with a sad smile.

After a while, Darius walked up to Christopher and said, "My master asked me to tell you that we will leave soon. I'm afraid you can't meet Fantôme right now."

"Oh, that's too bad," Christopher said with a disappointed tone. "Well, I guess I should be off. It was very nice talking to you and maybe we will see each other again soon."

"I hope so," she said with a smile.

He turned to follow Darius, but he remembered to say, "Could you please tell Fantôme that I am looking for a job. Even if she didn't send the letter, I bet she'll be interested in hiring me, even if it's just to sing one song."

"I'll see what I can do. Goodbye, Christopher," she said as she gave him one more hug.

"Goodbye, Madame Giry," he said as he returned the hug. He then looked at Diana and said, "Goodbye, Diana."

"G-Goodbye, monsieur," she said. Christopher didn't realize she was French until she said addressed him with a French title. Regardless, he left their side while she took Diana into Fantôme's office. When they arrived, they noticed the door was locked and Madame Giry knocked.

"Fantôme, can we come in," she asked. She didn't get a response, but they did hear something move through the room and footsteps followed. They heard the door unlock and Erika peeked out the door, but not revealing too much of herself.

"Is he gone," she quietly asked.

"Yes and I brought Diana with me," Madame Giry said. Erika then opened the door wider and let the two of them in. As soon as they entered, Erika quickly shut the door and locked it. She noticed that the black cloth that covered the mirror was off, which meant only one thing.

"He was here! I heard it from Monte! Why was he here? How did he find me," Erika started asking frantically.

"I talked with him and he said he received a letter from you inviting him to one of your shows."

"But . . . I didn't send him a letter," she said with confusion.

"I know you didn't, but I looked at the letter myself and the handwriting isn't yours, but it was familiar."

"Whose handwriting was it?"

"Nadir's."

Her face gave off a confused look as she said, "Nadir? Why would he do that? Wouldn't bringing him here hinder his plan of winning my heart?"

"I thought the same thing. Christopher even said he and Rachel were going to meet Nadir after-,"

"She's here," Erika said with a sad tone. Madame Giry placed her arm around her shoulders as she saw that she was about to cry.

"He wanted to see you, even though you didn't send him the letter. He's looking for a job and I can't think of any excuses for you."

"We cannot meet under any circumstances! It's already stressful enough that he was here, but if he sees me, I don't know how we would react," she said impulsively and with uncertainty.

"Mother, what's wrong," Diana asked.

Erika looked at her daughter and said, "Nothing's wrong, darling. I'm just not feeling well right now." She then turned Madame Giry and said, "I think Diana and I should go home now. It's getting late."

"Of course. I'll see you in the morning," she said as she left the room. Once the door was closed, Erika directed her daughter to the mirror and then pushed the button in a high area, away from easy reach. In no time, the mirror automatically slid from right to left, revealing a secret room unknown to everyone except for them and the Girys. They entered and the mirror soon closed behind them. There was only a single candle that lit the room, but it was sufficient enough to see the two beds.

They changed into their nightgowns and headed for bed, but not before Diana asked, "Who is Christopher?"

Erika tucked her daughter into bed, but was hesitant to answer that question. "He's an old flame from my past. It's nothing for you to worry about."

"But you seem to be worried about him a lot. What happened to you two?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you someday, but right now, you need to go to bed. You've got a long day tomorrow. I hear Bianca will teach you how to sing that song you love."

"Really? That would be great," she said as she put her head on her pillow. Erika was about to get up from the little bed, but she heard her say, "Can you sing me a lullaby?"

"Aren't you a little too old for lullabies?"

"I'm never too old for them as long as you sing them. Please, mother," she begged. Erika smiled and began to sing:

 _Say you will love me forever and ever_  
 _Say you will love me through all my endeavors_  
 _My heart will only beat for you and it will never cease_  
 _For you are the only one who sees the human being in me_

Once she knew her daughter was asleep, she placed a kiss on her forehead and headed to bed. As she placed her head on the pillow, a thousand thoughts filled her head, but three questions kept her up for a couple of hours. Why was Christopher here? Why would Nadir write to him? Does he still love her? She tried to calm herself so she could sleep, but it took a while before she could even close her eyes and listen to the quietness of the room. The only thing that was making noise was her daughter's breathing and her own beating heart. Diana was always her pride and joy, more than this theater would ever be. She was her daughter. She was Christopher's daughter. "I hope he never finds out," she whispered to herself before she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Christopher, Rachel, Nadir, and Darius rode in a carriage and headed for the French bistro close to the Fantôme Theater, where they planned to meet Annabel. Christopher had a million thoughts flooding his mind, but most of them concerned the little girl that he met. Diana; that was her name. She seemed so familiar to him, but this was the first time they met. Why was that?

After a while, they reached the bistro and Nadir escorted them out the carriage. Once the four of them were all out, they saw Annabel at the front of the restaurant with a huge smile on her face. She was wearing a green dress with long slightly darker green gloves. She had a small black purse hanging from her shoulder that seemed to only fit money inside. "How was the show," she asked.

"It was great! I haven't seen a show like that in my life," Rachel said.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Nadir, did you see Fantôme tonight?"

"No and neither did Christopher. She must have been busy tonight," he said.

"Well, that's too bad, but you'll see her another day. After all, she could never say no to you," she said with a pat on his back.

"I'm not so sure, especially after my last fiasco," he said with a doubtful tone. After a moment of silence, they headed into the bistro and sat at a table close to the front window. They started with drinks, but Christopher advised that Rachel should drink only tea to avoid any public scenes that would embarrass them.

"So, you couldn't find Fantôme? I thought she invited us and would like to meet you personally," Rachel asked.

"Apparently, she didn't write that letter," Christopher answered. Annabel, Nadir, and Darius kept their heads down to avoid suspicious stares.

"What do you mean she didn't write it? How do you know that?"

"I saw Madame Giry on my way to Fantôme's office," he said, but was soon interrupted.

"Oh, I haven't seen her since she moved from Paris. How is she," she asked with excitement.

"She and Meg are doing well and they work at the theater, but Madame Giry told me she didn't write the letter. However, she did mention you name, Nadir," he said as he faced the Persian man.

"She did? What did she say?"

"She didn't say much since I mentioned Annabel's name. You must have really pissed her off, Ms. Lee."

"What could you have done to make her hate you," Rachel asked as she drank her husband's glass of wine. She was sick of tea and wanted something bubbly, even if it made Christopher shake his head.

"I don't know, to be honest with you. The first time I met her, she was wearing a mask-," she said, but stop to discontinue her sentence. Christopher's eyes widened, but didn't say anything. "I believe she thinks I'm a prostitute since my customers don't leave the shop after getting a shave, but they just like to admire the fact that I'm a female barber to the point that they don't want to leave."

"Well, it's just all one big misunderstanding. I'm sure that if you talk to her, you can resolve your problems," Rachel said.

"I would, but she doesn't even want to be near me and I don't want to aggravate her even more, but enough about my issues. I want to know more about this angelic singer."

"Well, there's not much to say. I've been traveling around the European continent performing shows that pay well. However, I haven't performed any operas in a long time since the fiasco at the Palais Garnier," he said before pausing.

"Fiasco? What happened," Darius asked.

The couple looked at each other and Rachel explained, "There was this . . . woman . . . who was in love with my dear, Christopher, and she burned down the Palais Garnier. I'm just happy that we made it out alive."

"You had an obsessive fan," Nadir teased, but Christopher was not amused by his question.

"She wasn't a fan nor was she crazy. She was hurt soul who deserved love and I couldn't provide that for her," he said with a somber tone. Rachel held his hand, slightly hurt by the statement.

The three of them looked at each other with confused looks. "So she did love you, but you didn't love her," Annabel asked.

"No, I did, but . . . it's complicated. It's a long story and I don't think now is a good time to talk about it."

"Oh, then we don't need to talk about it," Nadir said.

After they finished their dinner, Rachel announced, "Well, I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll be right back." She pushed her chair out and headed for the lady's room, leaving Christopher alone with the trio.

After an awkward moment of silence, Annabel said, "She isn't the one, is she?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"She's not the one. There is no spark between you two."

"What are you talking about? I love my wife," he said, insulted.

"Well, I've been in love before and I can tell you from experience that once a person meets their true love, all that spark goes to them and no one else. Every relationship after that is . . . empty."

"Well, I've been in love before, but she wanted me to be happy, so I married Rachel."

"So you admit it!"

"Well, that's not what I meant. I love Rachel with all my heart, but if I had the choice all those years ago, I probably would have been with Erika."

"So, that's her name," Nadir said with a somber tone.

"Yes and she is unlike any woman I have ever met. Despite how poorly life treated her, she has found compassion for others and didn't damn the world. Heck, she fell in love, something she thought she would never experience, and she was loved back."

"But what happened to her," Darius asked.

"Well, nothing bad happened to her, but she thought that it would be best for me to marry Rachel by going somewhere far away from me. I haven't seen her since."

"What would you do if you did find her," Nadir asked with anger boiling inside him.

"I . . . I never really thought about it. I guess I would tell her that . . . I still love her."

Nadir suddenly pushed his chair and said in an obviously angry tone, "Excuse me, but Darius and I have to go. I just realized what time it was and we have to get up early in the morning for our spice shipment." Darius quickly got up from his seat and pulled out a wad of cash to pay for the dinner. "That should be enough for the five of us."

"Oh, you didn't need to pay for us," Rachel said, causing everyone to be startled by her sudden presence.

"It's the gentleman way of taking care of his friends. I'll see you all hopefully soon," Nadir said with a wave as he and Darius exited the bistro. Once they were outside, Nadir pounded his fist into a wall, almost breaking his hand.

"Master, what are you doing," Darius asked with worry.

"She was right! I made a foolish mistake! He is exactly what Erika described him! How am I supposed to compete with him?"

"We have to keep them separated. As long as they don't meet, you don't have to worry about him taking her way from you," Darius said as he grabbed a handkerchief to wipe off the blood from his knuckles.

"I suppose you're right. Lucky for us, she doesn't want to see Christopher and I bet she doesn't even know he's here."

"Let's hope so, but I'm sure that Madame Giry will tell her."

"Damn, you're right. Well, I just have to make sure that he doesn't get too close to her. If they ever do meet, then it's we lose."

* * *

"So, what were you guys talking about," Rachel asked as she sat back in her chair.

"Nothing important, but I did offer him a shave at my shop. What do you say, Christopher," Annabel asked. "You have a little stubble on your cheek."

Christopher put his hand in his chin and did feel stubble, but it wasn't too much that he needed to take care of it now. "No thank you, but maybe in the future. First, I need to meet Fantôme."

"But don't you want to look to impress her?"

"Yes, but I need to find her first. The only person I found was Diana."

"Wait, you met Diana?"

"Yes and she is adorable. She has these blue and green eyes that were unlike anything I have ever seen and her hair was dark brown, but the most prominent feature was a long scar along her face. I wonder what happened to her."

"Nadir told me she was born with it, but she embraces that scar because it makes her unique, just like her mother," Annabel said as the bill was given to her. "Huh, it was cheaper than I thought." She counted the money that Darius left on the table and saw that he gave them too much. She put the correct amount of money, including tip, with the bill while she kept the rest. "It's our little secret."

The three of them hopped into a carriage and dropped Annabel off at her home. They exchanged farewells and the coachman whipped his reigns to make the horses move. She had a smile on her face, but it soon faded when they were no longer in her sight. She reached into her purse, pulled out her silver razor, and raised it to the moonlight. "I could have made Nadir's mission a lot easier by killing the poor guy and maybe even his wife, but he has to learn that his plan to woo Fantôme is never going to work. His heart is in the wrong place and I can't show him the way no matter how hard I try." She slid the key into the lock and opened the door. When she closed the door, she heard a thumping noise from a room upstairs. She quickly changed into her barbershop outfit, walked to the room, and opened the door, revealing a man tied up in a chair while a rag surrounding his mouth so he couldn't cry for help. He was terrified to see her and started moving frantically, hoping for a way to escape. "Oh, I almost forgot you were here, but I'm glad you didn't leave. I've run out of fresh meat."

"Let me go. I won't tell anyone, I swear," he tried to say through the rag, but all she heard was muffled noise, but they got louder as she pulled out her razor and placed it around his neck.

"You men are all the same. You come in, hoping that I would sleep with a sleazy man like you and then leave without any consequences. Well, I'm sorry to say that I'm not that kind of girl. I bite back."

* * *

When she was finished, she exited the room, covered in red. She locked the door and made sure no one was around to see her latest sin. Even in the cover of darkness, no one could be too careful. She learned that when she was just a simple pie shop worker back in London. The memories started flooding back in her head, most very bitter, but when she remembered her barber lover, a smile appeared her face. "Despite everything that happened, I would have stayed with you," she said to herself, but in a way, to her past lover. "Too bad that you were murdered though. At least we killed that judge and you are reunited with your wife." She sighed as she looked at the red-stained razor, but then released an evil laugh. "There's no place like London, is there?"


	4. Destiny

In the afternoon, Christopher walked to the Fantôme Theater while Rachel went shopping at local stores. She liked to buy at least one thing at ever place she traveled, but recently, it's been hundreds of dollars worth of things. He tried to restraint her so many times, but it never worked. The only thing he could control was her drinking, but even that control was limited. Still, times have been tough on her, especially with the news that she was infertile. If only they were able to have a child, she would have not fallen this far down the rabbit hole. However, she did vow that if they were able to adopt a child, she would stop drinking on behalf of the child's health, but as of now, he just had to deal with the life she was living.

He finally arrived to the Fantôme Theater, but it seemed less active than last night, for obvious reasons. He marveled the dark building with posters of various shows, including the one they saw last night: Love's Greatest Sufferings. He kept looking, but was stopped by Monte. "Scusi, sir, but the theater isn't open until six-thirty."

"Oh, sorry, but I was enjoying the architecture of this building. It's quite remarkable," Christopher stated.

"It sure is. This building was designed by our very own Fantôme with some additions from Mister Y."

"Fantôme built this building? Wow, she's amazing!"

"She sure is. Not only is she the manager, but she's also the architect, playwright, and composer. I don't know how she can do it all and raise her child."

"Wait, she's a mother too? I don't know how I could manage all that and raise a child at the same time. I must meet this woman with many talents."

"And may I ask who you are? Fantôme won't just see anyone."

"Oh, my name is Christopher Daaé. I'm an opera singer from-," he said before he was interrupted.

"You're Christopher Daaé?! I can't believe I am talking to the one and only Christopher Daaé! I'm a huge fan of your work," Monte started saying rather loudly.

"Oh, well, thank you."

"I'm almost certain that Fantôme is a huge fan of you too! Whenever she and the Girys talk, they seem to talk about you all the time!"

"Really? Well, can I meet her?"

"Of course; follow me," Monte said as he opened the theater down and let him in. Christopher walked in further and saw some performers rehearsing for the same show they saw last night. Suddenly, Monte said in a booming voice that nearly scared him out of his shoes, "Guys, guess who's here to see Fantôme? It's Christopher Daaé!" They all stopped rehearsing and looked toward the duo by the back rows. All their faces lit up with wonder as they hurriedly ran to the celebrity.

"Aye Dios mío! It is Christopher Daaé. Are you here to see one of the shows," Bianca said with a frantic tone.

"Actually, I saw the show last night and you were all great," Christopher said with a smile.

"I can't believe I picked the perfect night to step in to play the lead role! Oh, these are one of the many perks of being an understudy," she said with a smile.

"Oh, shut your trap, darlin'. You know that Samara was too sick to perform last night. I wonder what's wrong with her," Jackson said.

"I don't care as long as I get the lead role in the meantime. After all, she is Fantôme's favorite ever since she practically gave her a job here instead of that rebuilt Palais Garnier."

"Palais Garnier? Would her last name be Ether by any chance?"

"Yes. Do you know her," Monte asked.

"Actually, yes; I worked with her before the Palais Garnier burned down."

"What a coincidence! You two have to catch up," Bianca said as she grabbed his hand and tried to drag him in a certain direction.

"Is that very wise? I mean, she's been coughing pretty badly lately. I don't want ya to catch what she's got," Jackson said in a genuinely worried tone.

"We'll just keep our distance, but she has to see him at least once before he leaves." She managed to drag him to the infirmary where they saw two women talking amongst themselves while a doctor laid his hand on a blonde woman asleep in a cot. She opened the door and asked, "How is she doing, doctor?"

"Her condition is getting worse," a baritone-voiced doctor said. "She won't be able to perform for another week."

"Is she going to be fine?"

"I really hope so, but I can't tell right now. She'll need to visit my office so I can perform some tests on her, but for now, she'll rest here." Christopher saw that Samara looked ill since there was sweat on her face and her skin was pale.

Bianca looked at the two other people in the room and didn't recognize them. One woman had fair skin, short blonde hair and was wearing a beautiful red dress while the other had pale skin, sleek dark hair, and was wearing slacks, a white collar shirt, and a vest. Both of them had green eyes that were almost otherworldly. "Excuse me, but do I know you two?"

"Oh, we're friends of Samara," one woman said with a smile.

"Funny, I don't recall her mentioning anyone like you two."

"We became friends very recently," the other woman said in a British accent. "My name is Lilliana and this is my dear friend Katia."

"I'm still only a friend to you," she asked in a teasing tone, making Lilliana roll her eyes playfully.

"If you keep acting like that, you might never be more than a friend," she joked.

"That's nice and all, but would you two mind leaving the room right now? Visiting hour is over," the doctor said.

"Fine," Lilliana said in an exaggerated sigh as she and Katia left the room.

The doctor looked at Christopher and Bianca and said, "That means you too."

"But this man is an old friend of Samara's. His name is Christopher Daaé!"

"I don't care who he is. She needs rest and your presence might disrupt that," he said coldly.

"Fine, hombre, we'll come back another time," Bianca said as she and Christopher left the room, but they noticed Lilliana and Katia didn't travel too far from the room. They were surprisingly happy that it left Christopher suspicious.

They walked past them, but he heard them discuss about something unusual. "Why can't we just tell them? We can spare her life," Lilliana asked.

"I'm afraid we can't," Katia said.

"Why not? Where does it say that we can't interfere with human lives?"

"I don't want to break any rules, unlike you."

She chuckled. "I was born like that. It's just in my nature."

* * *

"I'm sorry about Samara. She has been feeling ill lately and the doctor is a real stickler about visitors. I hope you can see her another time," Bianca said as they returned back to the stage.

"It's fine, really," Christopher said.

"Bianca! Where have you been, love," Wendy yelled. "You know how Fantôme feels about actors skipping rehearsals without a good reason."

"Lo siento, but I had to guide Señor Daaé to Samara. They have met before."

"Well, that's not a great excuse. Now get your bloody arse up here before she gets on your case about it."

"Fine," she said in an exaggerated sigh as she climbed on stage.

Christopher sat in a seat to watch the rehearsals. It was just like old times; watching people perform their parts while patiently waiting for his scenes. He wondered what Erika did while rehearsals underwent. He never really asked her that. He didn't ask her a lot of questions that he wished he did. Their futures would have been completely different if they confessed sooner, but for now, he lived the life he chose for himself. He looked up at Box 5, but was surprised to see it wasn't vacant. In the box was the little girl he met last night: Diana. She was in glee, which surprised him tremendously. Usually, children would be bored with rehearsals, especially when they weren't actually performing, but she was happy to be there. She then looked at Christopher, but her face changed from happy to surprise. He waved at her, but she slowly backed out of the box. What was going on in her mind?

"Don't mind her. Her mother tells her to stay away from strangers," a female voice said. He turned around and was surprised to see a familiar face.

"Meg! What are you doing here," Christopher said as he hugged his best friend from Paris.

"I work here with my mother. Didn't she tell you that last night?"

"She might have, but I was a little preoccupied. I was trying to find Fantôme and talk about maybe getting a job here."

"Oh, I believe my mother told me about that, but I'm afraid we aren't hiring right now."

"I know, but I still want to talk to Fantôme. Is she here?"

Meg hesitated, but said, "I'm afraid she's too busy right now. Maybe another time, perhaps?"

"But isn't she always busy? Is there ever a time when she's not," he asked with disappointment.

"Well, if she is ever free, she spends that time with her daughter," she said before stopping herself sharply.

"Oh, I guess so. I mean, I can't understand how a woman with so many talents has the time to take care of a child. She truly loves her, doesn't she?"

"She truly does. Well, if you will excuse me now, I have to rehearse for the next show. I'll see you real soon," she said as she gave him a parting hug and left his side.

Soon, he finally decided to sneak off and go backstage, but before he could reach the office, he ran into sweet little Diana. She tried to run, but he stopped her by asking, "Why are you running, Diana?"

She turned around and shyly said, "Mother doesn't like me talking to strangers."

"But I'm not a stranger. We met last night," he said gently.

She looked at him and squinted her eyes. "Are you monsieur Daaé?"

His eyes widened. "Yes. How do you know my name?"

"My mother talks a lot about you. She's your biggest fan!"

"Oh, why I'll thank her when I see her. Do you know where she is, by any chance?"

"She's at home right now," she said with a smile. She finally warmed up to the man.

"Oh, can you take me to her?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't. Mother won't allow me to bring anyone home, especially guests."

"Oh, well, can you guide me to her office? I would like to speak to her."

"About what?"

"I want to work for your mother, even if it's only temporary."

"Oh, then I can talk to her for you about that," she said with glee.

"Really, thank you," he said with surprise.

"You're welcome, monsieur," she said with a smile. A moment of silence passed before she continued the conversation. "It's been me and my mother since the very beginning."

"Really? Where's your father," he asked curiously.

"I don't know. Mother doesn't talk about him other than he was a good man. I don't know what happened to him around my birth."

"Oh, that must be difficult for you. I can't imagine what life would be like without a father," he said, but soon stopped when he realized he would be lying if he continued. Although the situation is different, he actually _did_ know what it was like to not have a father.

"Well, I can't complain since I never knew what it felt like in the first place, but I _do_ know he's not dead," she said with a somber tone.

"How do you know?"

"Mother says he _is_ a good man. If he was dead, she would have said he _was_ a good man."

He smiled. "I guess that's a good reason. You're very clever, aren't you?"

She giggled. "Thank you, monsieur."

"Would you mind taking me to your mother's office?"

"Why? I told you she was at home."

"I want to leave a note for your mother and I'm sure she has some ink and paper in her office," Christopher explained. She was hesitant, but reluctantly gestured him to follow her. After running a maze of hallways, they finally reached a wooden door with a sign on it saying "Knock before entering". Diana knocked on the door, causing him to be alarmed. "Why did you knock on the door?"

"It's a habit, I guess," she said, but she seemed to be listening through the door for any noises. Regardless, he opened the door and they both saw that nobody was in there. Diana sighed in relief, catching his attention.

* * *

Erika was on the other side of the mirror, just getting up from a nap. Sometimes when work was too stressful, she would seek peace and quiet in their secluded room, but sometimes, she would fall asleep. She felt fully rested and stretched her limbs to try to wake her up. After all, she still had work to do. She walked slowly to the mirror, but was shocked to see a familiar face in her office. In fact, it was the last person she thought she would ever see: Christopher Daaé. She was frozen in place and didn't know how to react to the situation. On one hand, she wanted him far away from her office, let alone, her theater, but on the other hand, she wanted to open the mirror and kiss him. He looked older than she remembered and his clothes were a lot more extravagant due to the wealth he received from his dear wife. However, some things never change. His eyes were still that beautiful emerald green.

"So this is where your mother works?"

"Yes. She's so busy though that I can only see her at night." Christopher looked around and saw all the newspaper articles about Fantôme and the Fantôme Theater. He tried to find a picture of her, but he can only see her covering her face to avoid pictures. He kept reading the articles, but one caught his eye. It was an article about him from some time after the Opera Populaire was built. What further caught his eye was a line that was underlined: Christopher Daaé thanks his "Angel of Music" for the fame he has received. He chuckled. "You said your mother was a big fan of me?"

"Yes, she is. It seems she can't stop talking about you."

"Then I hope that one day we can meet. That's all I ask of her."

"I'll see what I can do," she said while looking at the mirror. He noticed her staring and looked at the mirror. It looked so familiar to him that he had to take a closer look. He walked toward it and admired its beauty. It was taller than him and the black with gold trim frame brought a sense of elegance to it. However, it was all too familiar for him. It was like the one he had in his dressing room a long time ago. He tried to slide the glass over, hoping it somehow opened, but it didn't.

On the other side of the mirror, she was freaking out, thinking that he would find the way in. She couldn't even breathe, thinking he might hear her. She saw him look at the mirror and she knew exactly what he was thinking. She tried to make significant changes to this mirror compared to the one of the past, but somehow, he could still tell. He tried to slide the glass, but luckily for her, that's not the way to open it. He then put his hands on the frame, hoping to find something to open the mirror, but couldn't find anything.

"Monsieur, what are you doing to the mirror," Diana said with a frightened face.

"Sorry; it just reminds me of the one I had a long time ago," he said as he placed a hand on the glass.

Erika saw his palm on the glass and just couldn't help herself; she placed her hand where his hand was. She looked into his eyes and it seemed that he was staring right into hers. However, he wasn't smiling like she was. All she could see was disappointment. She couldn't help but feel guilty for the look in his eyes, but he soon pulled his hand away from the glass.

"Didn't you want to write my mother a note?"

"Oh, yes, that's right. Where does she keep paper and ink?"

"In the drawer in her desk," she said as she walked to the desk and opened the drawer to reveal what he needed. Christopher pulled out a sheet of paper, ink, and a quill and began to write a message.

 _Dear Fantôme,_

 _I received a letter from you saying that you would like to hire me, but I was informed that you didn't send me the letter. Regardless, I still want to speak to you about a possible job at your theater. It doesn't have to be an opera; it can just be a song. I just want to speak to you in person to speak about this job opportunity. Please try to see me as soon as possible. I am staying in a motel on Penny Street by a spice shop that I believe your friend, Nadir Khan, works. I'm sure Madame Giry and her daughter, Meg, know where I live if you ever decide to meet me in person. Thank you and I hope to see you soon._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Christopher Daaé_

Once he finished, he left the note out to dry and then left the desk. A nosy Diana looked at the note and then at the mirror, but she didn't say a word. "Make sure your mother sees that note," Christopher said.

"Oh, yes monsieur," she said with a slight bow. Christopher left the room, leaving her alone, but not completely.

On the other side of the mirror, Erika was curled into a ball, crying. She had a feeling that this day would come, but she was never prepared for it. How could she? It was already nerve wrecking for her to even know he was around, let alone see him. To make matters worse, he was speaking to his daughter without even knowing that she's his. Luckily, he was talking to her with a kind voice like he normally would, which made her smile. As time passed and with her tears dried, she pressed the button to slide the glass doors automatically. Diana saw her mother and asked, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine for now. What did you think of monsieur Daaé?"

"He seems nice. He really wants to see you. It's clear in his note," she said as she pointed at the note. Erika quickly scanned it and didn't know what to think. "Are you going to see him?"

"I . . . I don't know. I'll have to think about it," she said hesitantly.

Suddenly, the two of them heard a knock on the door. "Fantôme, may I come in," Erik asked.

"Of course," she said, quickly pressing the button to close the mirror. Erik walked in the room and barely got to see the mirror close.

He chuckled. "You have one too?"

"Of course I would. It's my safe haven away from the outside world."

He looked at Diana and said, "Hello Ms. Destler."

"Hello Mr. Y," she said with glee. "When can I go back to Phantasma?"

"Actually, that's what I came to discuss with your mother," he said as he looked at Erika. "How are you today?"

"I've had better days. Why do you ask?"

"On my way here, I saw monsieur Daaé and he looked rather . . . disappointed. Also, I can see that you were just crying before I got here."

She wiped the dried streaks of tears on her face and then said, "What could I do? If he saw me, I don't know how he would react. In fact, I didn't know how I would react before he came in the office. I was filled with all these emotions, some I haven't felt in years, and I'm happy I was behind the mirror so he wouldn't be able to see me. However, he wants to see Fantôme so badly. What do I do?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I'm sure I would feel the same way if I knew Christine was here and got to see her before she knew of my whereabouts."

"Mister Y, you said you wanted to talk to my mother about Phantasma, correct," Diana asked. She was so excited about Phantasma that she wanted to know what he wanted to say.

"Oh, right. Well, I heard your mother was stressed out lately that I thought maybe she would like to perform for my audience at a small concert hall in Phantasma," he said.

"Oh, are you sure? I mean, I bet I don't even sound good. There's a reason why I won't perform on stage for my own shows," she said with a slightly embarrassed tone.

"That's not the main reason and you know it. It's the same reason why I don't perform," he said with a smile.

"Well, I guess you're right, but what should I play?"

"Play? Oh, no. I want you to sing a song for my audience."

"Sing? Are you sure?"

"Of course! You have a lovely voice, Fantôme!"

"Yes you do, mother," Diana agreed.

She looked at her daughter and smiled. "Fine, I'll sing something as long as my daughter gets a private tour with her favorite ring leader."

"Please," Diana begged Erik.

He laughed. "All right. After your mother is done with her performance, we can look around and see everything you want."

"Thank you," Diana said as she hugged the tall man.

"When do you want me perform," Erika asked.

"When are you available," he asked.

"I can move some things around and perform tomorrow night, if that's okay with you."

"That's great! I'll make the announcement tonight!"

"All right then," she said with a sad smile.

He put a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's going to be all right. I'm sure that you'll forget all about this ordeal tomorrow night."

"I hope so," she said, but she was sure that she wouldn't be able to forget. Sure, it would help her forget for a few minutes, but this ordeal will be stressful until Christopher was gone.

* * *

 ** _There are two characters in this chapter (Lilliana and Katia) from a different story: One Hell of a Reaper. If you're curious about their back story, go ahead and check it out, but I must warn you, it is rated M. _**


	5. What is Love

"Did you get to see her," Rachel asked as she saw her husband enter the motel room. The place they were staying in wasn't the fanciest place they have ever stayed at, but it wasn't the worst. Ever since they lost a good chunk of their fortune, they have had to live like middle-class, much to Rachel's dismay, but Christopher had no complaint. He loved this lifestyle when his father was alive.

"No, I didn't. She is impossible to find, but I did talk to her daughter," Christopher said as he closed the door.

"Her daughter? Who's that?"

"It turns out that Diana is her daughter. Meg told me herself."

"Wait, Meg is here too? Well, I guess that would make sense since her mother is here. Did you get her to make an appointment for her to meet you, at least?"

"I left a note and told Diana to make sure she read it, but I haven't been able to see her personally. It's almost as if she doesn't want to be found."

"I'm sure you'll be able to see her soon. Besides, I heard that there is this fantastic amusement park called Phantasma that has a lot of rides, shows, and shopping centers! Why don't we go there tonight? I'm sure we'll have a great time!"

"I thought you wanted me to speak to Fantôme as soon as I can."

"I do, but since she is almost impossible to find, I don't want you to search forever. You need a break once in a while."

"I suppose you're right. Let's go right now," he said with a smile.

After a while, they arrived to the marvelous Phantasma and they were surprised to see all the colors and sights that surrounded them. There were happy faces everywhere and the smell of popcorn and sweets quickly filled their noses. Music soon filled their ears and they wondered where it was coming from. Rachel and Christopher listened closely and soon found the source of the music: a huge concert hall in the middle of Phantasma. Apparently, it was time for a show to start and they quickly found two seats in the back. After some time, the lights dimmed and the curtains drew back to reveal three performers on stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for one of the greatest shows of your life," a skinny man announced. The crowd cheered with delight and the man smiled. "Well, I'm glad to hear! Mr Y welcomes you to Phantasma! However I'm afraid we have a little problem. The singers and dancers refuse to come out!"

"But why, Gangle," the burly man asked the other with a deep voice.

"I'll tell you, Squelch! They are too nervous to come out!"

"Aw, then we should cheer real loud so we can show our excitement for them," a little woman said.

"Good idea, Ms. Fleck! Now, put your hands together and the performers will come out! C'mon, everybody! Clap your hands," Squelch said. Everyone clapped their hands and sure enough, all the dancers came out and did a little number for the audience.

"But wait; we're missing someone! The most important person of our show isn't here," Gangle said.

"She's still a little too shy to come out. Who is it, you may ask? Why, it is Phantasma's oo-la-la girl, Meg Giry," Ms. Fleck said. "On the count of three, we all have to say, 'Come on out Meg Giry'! One, two, three!"

"Come on out, Meg Giry," the crowd cheered and sure enough, Meg Giry came out of hiding. The performed a little routine with the dancers and the rest of the show was absolutely marvelous. The dancing was on point, the singing was great and in pitch, and the set designs were gorgeous. Everything was perfect!

"Well, that's the end of our little show," Meg said, which caused some people to awe in disappointment. "I know, but I do have some exciting news for you. Our amazing Mr. Y has just told me that a little friend of his is going to perform here tomorrow night. Who is it? Well, my friends, it's the one and only Fantôme of the Fantôme Theater!" The crowd cheered loudly and Christopher and Rachel's eared perked up by the news. "Yes, you heard it here first! You might have heard her play the violin at the Fantôme a Theater, but for tomorrow night, for the first time, everyone in attendance will be able to hear her sing! Well, she'll be singing in the shadows, but she'll sing, nonetheless. Fantôme will sing for our beloved audience and it's only happening tomorrow night. Don't miss such an exciting opportunity!" Meg then took a bow and she and the other dancers rushed off the stage just before the curtains pulled forward.

"Was it more than a coincidence that I wanted to come here today," Rachel asked as the couple patiently waited for the rest of the audience to leave the concert hall.

"Regardless, we finally have a chance to meet Fantôme! Can you believe it," Christopher asked with excitement. "I can meet her after the show, maybe compliment her about her performance, and hopefully, she'll let me work in her theater."

"I really hope you do."

"Rachel, is that you," a familiar voice said. They both looked and saw Annabel looked toward them amongst the crowd of people. She quickly and rather forcefully ran toward them and continued saying, "I didn't expect to see you two here? Tell me, how are you enjoying Phantasma?"

"It's quite lovely! I mean, I haven't seen so much amusement in one place," Rachel said with glee.

"Oh, I know. They have all these shows, rides, and my personal favorite, shopping centers. Would you like me to escort you around the area?"

"I would love to-," Rachel said before she was interrupted.

"I'm sorry, but we've had a long day today and I'm sure she would like to go home and rest. Wouldn't you, dear," he said in a very gentle manner. He knew how easily Rachel would accept a shopping binge and had to stop her before anything got out of hand.

"Oh, you're not going to let your husband control you, will you? It's almost the twentieth century! You are allowed to be independent," Annabel said in a teasing tone.

"No, he's right. We should be going home," Rachel said.

"Oh, phooey. Well, I guess it can't be helped," she said as she grabbed Rachel's hand and quickly dragged her out the concert hall.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing," Christopher asked as he quickly chased them. He went outside and saw a maze of people, but not the two women he was looking for. Where could they have gone? Why the hell did she take her? So many questions were racing his head, but one thing was for sure: he needed to find his wife as soon as possible. After a while, he saw a blonde woman get pulled behind tents and he quickly followed. However, as he got closer, he heard feminine moans and was afraid to get any closer. Still, curiosity took over him and he walked toward the noise. He did find the blonde woman, but it wasn't Rachel. She did, however, look familiar. Another woman with raven hair was with her and they were kissing quite passionately. They would have gotten really into it if Christopher didn't loudly clear his throat to get their attention. The raven-haired girl turned around and he soon recognized who they were.

"Well, this is awkward," Lilliana said with a slightly crimson face as she pushed herself off the young woman.

"Why can we never find privacy anymore," Katia said.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your . . . moment, but have you seen a blonde woman and a brunette woman come by here," Christopher asked, slightly embarrassed by what he witnessed.

"The only blonde woman that has my eye is the one right in front of me," Lilliana said as she kissed her again.

"Aw, you're so sweet."

"So, you two haven't seen them?"

"No, we haven't, sorry, but would you mind settling a disagreement for us," Katia said.

"You know I don't want their kind to interfere with something they can't understand," Lilliana said with anger, but Katia pointed at her lover's eyes and Lilliana soon turned away as she quickly grabbed a small mirror out of her pocket, back facing Christopher.

"I don't have much time-," he said.

"It'll only take a few minutes. What is your idea of love? Is it just sleeping with someone or is it something more?"

"Just sleeping with someone? I'm pretty sure I've done more for you that just that," Lilliana said still facing away from him.

"Well, you don't really know what love is. In fact, neither of us does. Let's ask someone who probably knows about love best. So, Mister Daaé, what do you think?"

"Well, I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer that, but-,"

"He admitted it, let's go," Lilliana said abruptly, trying to grab Katia and take her away, but Katia shook her hand off of her.

"But he knows better than us! We have to hear what he says. Don't you want to know something that we don't?" She sighed, but she gestured him to continue.

"For me, love is complicated. It brings out the best in people and the worst." Katia smiled at the thought, but Lilliana's eyes filled with regret. "I've experienced it twice in my life, but true love is something that is undeniable. No matter how hard they try, the love between two soul mates can never be broken."

"Soul mates," Lilliana repeated. "What a cute term humans made up."

"But it is accurate. Two souls become one and lovers would do anything to please the other."

"See, Lily! Isn't it wonderful?"

"You cute little fool; don't you see the dark side of love? Yes, it's beautiful in your eyes since you've never felt heartbreak or regret," she said before quickly turning to Christopher. "And what about you? Have you felt the pain of possibly loving someone a little too much? Have you ever felt guilt for something you did out of love?"

"Actually, I have," he said, surprising her. "But no one felt more pain than she did."

"She?"

Christopher was hesitant, but said, "Erika was an old flame of mine. We were both in love with each other, but we didn't tell the other how we felt."

"Then how did you know you two were in love," Katia asked.

"We eventually did, but it was too late. I was betrothed to another and though I did love my wife, I loved her more."

"See, they are not skilled in the art of love. No one is," Lilliana said sharply.

"Well, you've felt love three times in your life, correct," she asked with a smile, but it soon faded as she saw that her face didn't change its somber look.

"The only instance of love I ever had in my life was for my brother. Sebastian was nothing more than lust, but now, he hates me."

"And us?"

"Our 'love' is just attraction."

"I'm sorry, but I really do have to go. I must find my wife," Christopher said.

"Oh, of course. Thanks for giving us your input," Katia said, but Lilliana only scoffed. He quickly ran off from the couple and they walked away, making sure that they kept an eye on him.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! My husband is going to be furious when he finds you," Rachel said. Annabel said she was taking her to a shopping center, but instead, she took her behind a food tent where they could be alone. "What is your deal?!"

"I had to speak to you alone. Did you hear the news about Fantôme," Annabel asked nervously.

"Of course and so did my husband," she said, confused by the question.

"I must warn you now: don't let your husband see Fantôme!"

"Why not? We desperately need the money-,"

"I will give you any amount you need to get you out of the country, but you cannot let them meet. Fantôme has been obsessed about your husband since the early years of his career."

"What are you talking about," Rachel asked in utter confusion.

"I mean that she has an unhealthy obsession with your husband and if the two ever meet, I'm afraid she'll never want to let him go."

"You're crazy! If she's so obsessed, why hasn't she come to him?"

"Because she's trying to control her desire, but if they meet, I'm betting that you'll never see him again."

"Why should I believe you? You two are enemies."

"This is the reason why we're enemies. When I was her friend, she said something about killing you so she could have Christopher to herself and I confronted her that. I tried to get her help, even convincing Nadir that she needed help, but she refuses any help. She hates me because I tried to help her." Rachel was silent. Is she lying? It would be one hell of a story to make up. "I couldn't tell you this in front of Christopher."

"Why? If you told him this, he would try to protect me."

"Don't be naïve. I mean, he's a good man, but the curiosity would be unbearable for some men. If you tell him that a woman is obsessed about him, he'll be curious how she would treat him. I bet she would try to do everything that you can't and then replace you entirely."

"But he wouldn't . . . he wouldn't cheat on me," Rachel said with shock.

"I trust he wouldn't, but I wouldn't give him the chance. He hasn't given you a reason to doubt him, has he?"

Rachel was about to say no, but a memory suddenly came into her mind. "Well, there was this one woman that he fell in love with many years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the love of his life. She let him go, but I doubt she left his heart."

"See! If you give him a slight sense of hope, he'll take it. Don't let him see Fantôme tomorrow night," Annabel warned.

"There you are," Christopher yelled as he raced to them. He grabbed Rachel close to him and yelled in a frantic tone, "What the hell, Annabel?!"

"I'm sorry, but I really wanted to show her the shopping center, but since this place is so big, I got lost," she lied. Rachel was surprised how well she could lie right on the spot.

"You didn't need to kidnap her!"

"You had too much control over her, so I thought she needed some time away from you."

"I don't control her; I help her."

"Well, it sure didn't seem like it, but if this is love to, then I guess I should get going," she said as she left their side.

Christopher hugged his wife as he said, "I'm glad you're all right. I was afraid she was going to do something bad to you."

"I'm fine, but it was you I was worried about. I thought you were going to get hopelessly lost looking for me."

"Even if I did, I wouldn't give up my search for you. Do you still want to see the attractions here?"

"But we told Annabel that-,"

"I only said that so she would leave us alone, but it backfired. I wouldn't mind seeing the Ferris wheel or another show. What do you say?"

She smiled. "That sounds wonderful." Christopher took her all around Phantasma, but something about Annabel's warning distracted her from having fun.

* * *

"How are you feeling, Samara," Erika asked her in the infirmary of the theater. Apparently, her condition hadn't gotten any better. In fact, it's gotten worse.

The blonde woman sat up from the bed as she answered in a weak voice, "I don't know. Have you talked to the doctor?"

"He's supposed to show up today, but I haven't seen him."

"Well, I did go to the hospital to check out my condition, but he sent me back here. I hope he has some good news for me," she said before coughing. "I haven't performed in a while."

"I know, but your health is the more important than any performance I have scheduled for you."

She laughed, but coughed again, this time, with more intensity. "I bet Bianca is enjoying her rise to stardom. She always wanted to be a star, but she has been an understudy for so long."

"Well, she doesn't have the talent that you possess."

She smiled. "Thanks Fantôme, but none of this would have happened if you didn't send an offer to perform at your theater. When I was at the Opera Populaire, I was scared that things would end up like the Palais Garnier, but I was relieved to receive your letter. Thank you."

"You deserved it. After watching your performance at the last show at the Palais Garnier, I had to get you to perform in my theater."

"The last show? Do you mean Don Juan Triumphant? I mean, I did perform for the first half of the show, but I don't remember what happened in the middle of the show. The next thing I knew, I was in an abandoned dressing room. I heard that the Phantom of the Opera, or so they called her, took over the show and burned down the entire opera house! I feel so bad for everyone in attendance, but I guess she died in the fire since I have heard no news of her presence since."

Erika was silent, but said, "But that could also mean that she's still out there. There has been no news of her death either."

"You do have a point, but there has been no news of her existence since the Palais Garnier burned down. Maybe she was a ghost after all since the fear died when the building burned down," she said before she started coughing again, but this time, she started to cough up blood.

"Oh my god, are you okay," Erika asked with worry.

"I'm fine," she said as she grabbed a rag and continued coughing up some blood. "This happens only once in a while." They suddenly heard a knock on the door and the two women saw the doctor at the doorway.

"Hello, ladies," he said before noticing the blood on the rag. "Are you feeling all right, Ms. Ether?"

"I'm okay, but I would like to stop coughing soon," she said before coughing yet again. "Maybe I should lie down."

"I think that's best for you," he said as she lied on her side and drifted off to sleep. "Fantôme, may I speak to you privately?"

"Sure. Is everything all right?"

"Well, that's what I want to talk to you about," he said as he directed her outside the room. When they were certainly alone, he continued, "I'm sorry to say, but the poor girl has tuberculosis."

"Oh no, that's terrible! Is there any way to cure it," she asked in a very worried tone.

"I hope we can. We will do everything in our power to cure her of this disease, but for now, I suggest she rest and avoid strenuous breathing as much as possible."

"Please do everything you can. If you need any funding, I will happily pay for anything."

"We will try our best, but unfortunately, there is no sure way to cure this."

"Please try to save her," she asked, now with tears forming in her eyes.

"We will. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll perform my usual checkup," he said before entering the room. Erika could feel tears rolling down her cheek at the news. How could something so bad happen to someone so young? Samara barely started her career and it might soon be at an end. Even if she did live through this ordeal, her lungs would be scarred and she wouldn't be able to perform ever again.

"She's not going to make it," a voice said. Erika wiped her tears as she looked toward where the voice came from. It was Katia, this time all by herself.

"What do you mean? The doctors will do everything they can to save her," Erika said with a weak voice.

"Believe all you want, but the doctors don't have the medicine to cure such a terrible disease. She will die by the end of the week."

"No, she won't. She'll live," she argued.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," she said before leaving her side. Where the hell did she come from? How long has she been there? Why did she say those terrible things? Regardless, she hoped that Samara would survive this disease, even if she could never perform again. Life was better than death; she learned that lesson a long time ago.


	6. Till I Hear You Sing

The next morning, Nadir was getting a shave from Annabel and discussing their next move in their scheme. However, there was a sense of urgency after she explained their little predicament. "She is going to perform at Phantasma tonight," Nadir asked. "That seems very unusual of her."

"That's what Meg announced last night, but we have a problem on our hands," she said as she shaved the stubble on his cheek.

"And what's that?"

"Christopher was there to hear the news."

"What," he yelled as he moved around with anger, making it difficult for Annabel to continue.

"If you don't stop moving, I'm going to slice your throat," she warned, but there were two meanings behind that one statement. Out of fear, he remained still and waited for her to finish. "However, I have convinced his wife to not let him go by saying she is obsessed with him. I just hope it works."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we'll have to stop him ourselves," she said before finishing the shave. "All done."

"Thank you," he said as he wiped the shaving cream off of his face with a towel. He looked in the mirror and smiled at her talent. "You never told me who taught you how to shave so well."

"That's because I intend to keep it that way. All I can say is that he taught me more things than just shaving," she said as she cleaned the razor.

"Can I at least get a name in case I want to thank him personally?"

Her happy face soon turned sad as she said, "Even if I did, you wouldn't be able to. He's kind of . . . dead."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, I guess. It's all in the past and I've learned to move on," she said before placing the razor in her wooden box. "Let's not get sidetracked; we need to make sure they never meet."

"Right. I could send Darius to remind her to stop Christopher from going to Phantasma tonight."

"I guess, but why couldn't you do that yourself?"

"Let's just say that he has a silver tongue that can influence anyone."

"If you're right, then be my guest, but it is vital that he doesn't fail. If the two of them meet, you will never be able to win her."

"I know, but he never fails, so I have full confidence in him. I'll send him to find Rachel right now," he said as he started to leave.

"I still think it's best if _you_ spoke to her yourself. After all, she probably trusts you more than him."

"I'm too busy to handle it. I just released this new spice from India and my shop has been flooding with customers. It would be too much for Darius to handle all by himself."

She sighed, but said, "Fine, but he cannot fail."

"I promise he won't."

* * *

In the afternoon, Darius searched all over town for Rachel, but had little luck finding her. He even checked their motel room, but he only found Christopher and even he didn't know where she went. The only hint he gave him was that she might be out shopping. He then checked every shop in town and after an hour or so of searching, he finally found her in a trinket store. "Madame Daaé, I didn't expect to see you here," he said smoothly as he entered the shop.

She turned around and smiled. "Oh, Darius. What a surprise! I never expected you to leave Nadir's side."

"Well, he was fortunate enough to give me a break and I thought I might do a little shopping."

"Oh, then why don't you join me? I bet you know all the best shops in town."

"Sure," he said, but he knew he needed to remind her sometime soon about the performance tonight. However, as they continued shopping, Rachel was too distracted by everything around her that she wouldn't give him her full attention. Something was always so beautiful or interesting to her. "Rachel, did you know that-,"

"Oh my! That dress looks so beautiful! I have to try it on now!"

"But you just bought a dress similar to it at the other shop."

"No, that one is red with black trim. This one is red with gold trim. I don't have one like it," she said as she dragged him in the store, but as she looked around some more, she noticed more dresses that she wanted to try on. Darius waited impatiently outside the dressing rooms as he watched Rachel come out with different dresses on.

"Rachel, Fantôme is-," he tried to say, but was always interrupted by a comment.

"Oh, it's so beautiful, but it's a bit tight on the bust. Maybe I can have a tailor fix that. Oh, I wonder how Christopher would like it."

"Speaking of him, I bet he's going to see-,"

"I'll buy this dress and maybe this one. And maybe this one. Oh, this one was so cute."

"Rachel, you already bought three dresses from the other shop. Do you really need any more?"

"Of course! A woman can't have too many dresses," she said with a smile. After a few hours of shopping, they finally took a break and had lunch at a bistro close to Phantasma. "Phew, that was a lot of shopping, don't you agree?"

Darius, who was carrying all the bags, finally set them down and sat at the table. "You can say that again."

"Do you know what time is it?"

Darius pulled out his pocket watch and said, "It's almost six. How did we spend so much time shopping?"

"I do this almost every day; it distracts me," she said with a slightly sad tone.

"Distract you? From what?"

"I don't feel like talking about it, but let's talk about you. How come you didn't buy anything?"

"Well, I didn't see anything that really caught my attention, but they have great things to buy at Phantasma," he said, trying to jog her memory about Annabel's warning.

"Sure, they have some incredible things, but I just want there last night with my husband. If go there again, I might get lost."

"Well, maybe I can escort you around and maybe we can see a show there while we're at it. I heard Fantôme will be performing tonight. Doesn't that sound exciting?"

"Sure, but . . . ( _sigh_ ). I'm not going to lie to you, Darius, but Annabel told me to make sure he didn't go."

"Why is that?"

"She said Fantôme is obsessed with Christopher and would do anything to get him. Is that true, Darius?"

He was silent, but finally said, "Well, Nadir has tried to win her heart for ten years now, but she says her heart will belong to Christopher. I guess she is obsessed with him." After a moment of silence, he continued, "Will you stop him from seeing Fantôme?"

"No," she said weakly.

Surprised by her answer, he asked, "Why not?"

"I want to see if he's still faithful to me. Yes, we've been married for ten years, but at this time, some husbands start to grow weary of their wives, especially if they don't have children. If he truly loves me, he will meet this obsessive fan of his and not let her tempt him. He has been a good and loving husband all this time, so I would be surprised if he changed now. After everything, he has stayed with me, even when he knew he could have any other woman he wanted."

"So, this is a test of trust? Usually wives wouldn't do this unless they doubt their husband's faithfulness."

"I do trust him, but I'm not going to stifle his career because of one woman who happens to be a very influential person."

Darius couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was really going to let him do this and possibly ruin their marriage? He didn't know what to say now. He did his job: remind Rachel about tonight's performance, but she is willing to let him go. What was he supposed to do now?

* * *

Seven o'clock finally arrived and Christopher made sure he was in the front row to finally see Fantôme for the first time. Well, he'll hear her. Meg announced she was going to sing in the shadows, so this would be entertaining to watch. Soon, music started to fill the concert hall and out came the same three performers from yesterday's show. "Ladies and gentlemen; are you ready for one of the greatest shows of your lives," Gangle announced. Once again, the crowd cheered loudly.

"We're glad to hear since we have a special performance for you all tonight. For the first time ever, we have our lovely Fantôme of the Fantôme Theater! Are you all excited to hear her," Ms. Fleck announced. The crowd cheered loudly yet again.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Here she is: Fantôme," all three of them announced as the lights began to dim. Soon, a spotlight shone on a few dancers who arrived on the stage and they quickly got into position. However, another spotlight shined on another performer who was dressed in all black with a black hat that hid most of her face. The only part that wasn't covered was her mask.

 _The day starts; the day ends; time crawls by_  
 _Night steals in, pacing the floor_  
 _The moments creep yet I can't bear to sleep_  
 _Till I hear you sing_

The dancers showed that this song was about love and loss. One person loved someone very much and whether it was heartbreak or death that caused them to separate, it was clear that the one singing still loves the person even after all these years.

 _And weeks pass and months pass; seasons fly_  
 _Still you don't walk through my door_  
 _And in a haze I count the silent days_  
 _Till I hear you sing once more_

Christopher couldn't believe what he was hearing. That voice sounded all too familiar to him. Could it be? No, there was no way. It couldn't be . . .

 _And sometimes in darkness I dream you are there_  
 _But wake holding nothing but the empty air_  
 _And years come and years go; time runs dry_  
 _Still I ache deep in my core_  
 _My broken soul can't be alive or whole_  
 _Till I hear you sing once more_

It's couldn't be her. She said she wanted to be away from him. After all, Fantôme didn't even write the letter that brought him here. There's no way that Fantôme could be . . .

 _And music, your music, it teases at my ear_  
 _I turn and it fades away and you're not here_  
 _Let hope pass; let dreams pass; let them die_  
 _Without you, what are they for_  
 _I'll always feel no more than halfway real_  
 _Till I hear you sing once more_

It was her. There was no doubt about it now. Fantôme was indeed the woman he had been looking for since she left Paris. Fantôme was her. The crowd cheered loudly as the song finished and the performer in all black bowed as the spotlight faded on her. The dancers then bowed as they quickly left the stage. Christopher was astonished by his discovery that he had to see her in person. It has been too many years since he saw her last.

* * *

"You performed so marvelously," Erik said as he hugged his dear friend in the dressing room.

"Thank you, Erik. This was exactly what I needed to calm my nerves. I didn't think that they would cheer so loudly like they did," she said, still filled with excitement.

"I told you they would. You have a very lovely voice." She removed the hat off her head, letting her hair flow down her shoulders.

"You sang so well," Diana said as she too hugged her mother. "You should do this more often."

"I might just for you, but not for a while," she said as she kissed her daughter's forehead. "Thank you for letting me perform in the shadows. The last time I performed in public, I started a huge fire in the opera house."

"You caused a fire, mother?"

"Yes, but accidentally. I didn't mean to." Despite the statement, Diana laughed.

"You're welcome, but can I ask you something?" They looked at him curiously as he asked, "Was that song for Christopher?"

"Is that Monsieur Daaé," Diana asked.

"Yes, but he's an old . . . friend," she lied. She was silent, but continued, "I wrote that song for a show, but it seems that he was my muse."

"But you sang it like he was here. There was so much emotion in your voice that I could have sworn you saw him in the audience."

"That's the only way I can sign with passion; I imagine he is there listening to every word and note I sing."

"Well, if he were here, he would be very proud of you," he said as he gave her another hug, but it was clear those words had some impact on her as she tried to hold back the tears.

"Mister Y, can you show me around Phantasma please," Diana begged.

"If it's all right with your mother," he said as they both looked at Erika.

"Of course it's all right. I'll just change into something more comfortable and I'll find you two later."

"All right, we'll see you later." He escorted Diana out the door, leaving Erika to her thoughts.

"I sang as if he was there," she repeated. "He has a way with words, doesn't he? I bet that's why Christine fell in love with him." She then heard a knock on the door and sighed. "What now Erik," she said as she turned the knob to open the door, but she would have never suspected in a million years who was behind that door. She opened it and was frozen in place. No, it can't be!

"I-I can't believe I finally found you, my Angel of Music," Christopher said as he hugged her very tightly. She was still in total shock by all this that she couldn't embrace him back. In fact, she felt as if she was going to faint.

"H-How," she muttered. Her mind drew a blank and she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"A letter brought me here," he said as he quickly pulled the letter out of his coat pocket. She quickly grabbed it and scanned it, but was in utter shock.

"I-I didn't send this. This isn't my handwriting," she said.

"I know you didn't, but I'm glad I received it, nonetheless. I finally found you," he said as he tried to give her another hug, but she walked away as she continued to examine the handwriting. Then, it finally hit her.

"Nadir, you son of a bitch! Why did you do it?"

"Nadir? Did he send the letter," he asked in confusion.

"Yes he did, but I can't figure out why! He's . . . ," she tried to say, but stopped herself. "You should go."

"Why would I leave? I'll never leave your side again," he said as he embraced her.

"No, no, no, you have to go now," she said, almost as if she feared for his life, which in a way, she did.

"Erika, I haven't seen you for ten years and you're telling me to leave? What kind of wife would do that?" At those words, she froze in place yet again.

"I'm not your wife."

"I don't think you believe that or else you wouldn't still have your wedding ring on." She then looked at her wedding finger and he was right: she was still wearing the ring, even after all these years. She looked at his hand and didn't see the ring from their wedding, which was to be expected. "Don't worry, I'm still wearing mine," he said as he showed her his other hand and on the ring finger, there was their wedding ring.

"Still, you're not safe here if Nadir sent that letter. Please, Christopher, you need to leave," she begged.

"Not until you say you don't love me," he said. She grew quiet at his request, but couldn't bring herself to say such a lie. "You would have been with Nadir by now if you didn't love me."

"How do you know that?"

"A lady friend of his told me," he said. He was cautious not to say Annabel's name in front of her.

"His lady friend," she repeated, trying to figure out who he was talking about, but she figure it out quickly and said, "If she is involved, then you really must leave! Your life is in danger."

"Erika, what aren't you telling me?"

"When I find him, he better have a good explanation for all this," she said to herself, but took a deep breath and continued, "Why did you have to come?"

"Well, we came so I could get a job, but-,"

"We?"

"Yes, Rachel and I," he said, making her slightly sad.

"So you did follow my wishes and married her."

"Of course," he said as he got closer to her. "I did it for you."

"She's made you happy, right?"

He was hesitate, but said, "Yes, she has. I would like to at least talk to you, Erika, and see what you've managed to do since Paris."

"Now is not the time," she said, trying to get passed him, but he stopped her.

"When is? I mean, you can't keep avoiding me any longer."

"We can't-," she tried to say before he kissed her. Despite her attempt to break free, she couldn't help but embrace it. She closed her eyes and they continued to kiss passionately. However, the kiss was short lived as she pulled back suddenly.

"Please Erika; let's at least have dinner or something like that? I haven't seen you for ten years! I promise that if you give me at least that, I'll leave Coney Island."

"You promise," she asked.

"I promise," he assured.

She took a deep breath and said, "Fine, we can go to dinner."

He hugged her yet again as he said, "Thank you! You won't regret it."

"I might already," she mumbled, but spoke up to say, "I'm only available the following night. Is that all right?"

"Of course that's fine! Thank you," he said as he let her go and then reluctantly left the dressing room. Did that really just happen? Did her worst nightmare just come true? Or was it her dream for him to come here? She couldn't tell. Throughout these years, she felt empty without his presence, but that was partially filled with Diana. Oh, Diana! If he was here, would he figure out that she is her daughter, or should she say, _their_ daughter? So many thoughts raced through Erika's that she couldn't help but cry.

* * *

"What do you mean she didn't care," Nadir asked furiously to Darius after he finished closing the shop.

"I'm sorry, but Rachel said this was a test of his faithfulness," he explained, fearful for his life. His master was always scary when he was angry.

"I told you that _you_ should have talked to her," Annabel said with a razor in her hand.

"And _I_ told _you_ I was too busy. I had complete confidence in you, Darius, and you failed me."

"What else could I say? I even said that she was an obsessive woman! That would have convinced any other woman to make sure that their husband could not go."

"You could have dragged her to the show and made her stop him," Nadir said angrily.

"But your orders were not to be conspicuous about our plan. In fact, I might have violated that rule a little already."

Nadir sighed and asked, "Does anyone know if the two of them met?" Both of them shook their heads. "Then I guess I'll have to see her tonight to make sure."

"That won't be necessary," Annabel said as she pointed to the window and hurriedly went upstairs. Darius and Nadir looked and saw that an angry Erika was heading toward the spice shop.

Nadir quickly opened the door and greeted her by saying, "Hello Erika. I'm surprised to see you here. So, how was the show?"

"What the hell, Nadir," she asked angrily, but he could see streaks of dried tears on her face.

"What are you talking about," he asked, trying to play innocent.

"Stop pretending, Nadir. I know you sent the letter that brought Christopher to Coney Island! I recognized your handwriting!"

He was silent, but finally said, "So, you met him."

"Yes I met him, but I'm confused as to why you would bring him here in the first place. Why would you bring your rival here?"

"I-I wanted to prove to you that he wasn't the man you remembered."

"Well, he is; maybe even better than I remembered since he's matured and is no longer the naïve boy."

"Then that's bad news for me."

"And not only that, but I hear you are working with Annabel Lee. What are you thinking?!"

"Can I not be friends with her so I can see if she is truly the woman you think she is?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? I don't think she's a murderer, I _know_ she's a murderer! What else could explain why some of her customers never leave her barbershop? If you value your life, you would never speak to her again."

"That's insane! If she was a murderer, wouldn't she have killed me by now? I'm one of her regular customers."

"I don't know how she gets away with it, but it seems she targets men that don't have anyone that would miss them."

"Erika, I think you need to calm down. You're stressed about meeting Christopher and you're not thinking straight. I'll make some tea for you," he said, trying to alleviate her anger, but to no avail.

"Nadir, I don't know how this was supposed to be beneficial, but I hope it will end soon," she said as she stormed out of his shop.

"Wow, she's really pissed at you. I can't blame her though," Annabel said as she walked down the stairs.

"Please don't tell me you're taking her side, even after all that," he said with annoyance.

"Well, I did say that this would happen, didn't I? Besides, I think you now have no chance of winning her heart."

"Shut up! This will work out in the end. There's no way he would leave his wife for Erika."

"But Erika is technically his wife," Darius said, receiving a slap at the back of his head from Nadir.

"No matter, this situation has gotten worse and unless we do something now, she'll fall in love with him all over again," Annabel said as she held up her razor. "Can I finally do it?"

"We can't just murder him! If he dies, she'll think I did it or sent you to do it. We need to find a way so I can still win her heart."

"You're no fun; you need to feed me eventually," she said with a teasing grin, but when she received no reply, her smiled faded. "But how will you be able to pull this off?" At this point, you should give up."

"No, failure is not an option, not when love is at stake. I'll figure out something, but until then, good night Annabel," he said as he opened the door. She pouted, but left the shop.

Once he closed the door, she said to herself, "Even when things get impossible, you won't give up, will you? For a whole year, I had to put up with this crap and for what? The only advantage I have in helping him is that if I ever get caught by the police, he'll find a way to bail me out, but I always make sure there is no evidence left behind." She pulled out her razor and looked at it shine in the moonlight. "It's funny, he doesn't want to be unloved, but if he gave up this quest, he wouldn't be. His determination is something I've come to adore, but it's also made it so hard for me to love him at the same time. Let's just hope he gives up soon before I lose the little sanity I have left and do something I _might_ regret."


	7. Death

Christopher went home surprisingly late that night. After his encounter with Fantôme, or should he say his Angel of Music, he had to walk around town to clear his mind. He had to figure out his next move: should he tell Rachel that he found Erika or should he lie about it? He has always been faithful to his wife, but he just found the woman he has been searching for ten years. All he was wanted from this trip was a job, but he got so much more than that. What was he going to do? He walked a few miles away from Phantasma and walked down an alleyway, but he saw Lilliana crying into her hands. Even though he has seen her only a couple of times, he had never seen her like this before. "Are you all right?"

She looked up suddenly, wiped her tears, and angrily said, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just walking back to my motel room. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! I just have something in my eye," she said, truly trying to believe the words she was saying.

"Well, where's Katia? I'm sure she can help cheer you up," he said, trying to make her smile, but it only made it worse.

"Katia," she repeated as she could feel tears running down her cheek again. "She's working right now. I should be getting to work too, but I just don't want to. Once my job is done, I'll have to go straight back to England, but I don't want to go. If I do, I'll be all alone."

"She can't come with you?"

"No, she has to work here. It's part of our job, but if I choose to stay here, my supervisors will hunt me down. I just can't bear the thought of being alone."

"What's so horrible about it?"

"Being alone is like living in total darkness. You can't see anyone and no one can see your tears fall to the floor. No matter how much you want to see light, there is nothing there for you. When I leave, I'll find this eternal loneliness."

"Well, I'm sure you won't be entirely alone in England. Do you have any family?"

"I had my brother, but he's dead now."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," he said regretfully.

"It's fine. I used to work for a young Earl and his devilish butler, but I screwed things up so much that I could never return. Katia visited England some time ago and I was attracted to her, so when I was assigned to come here, I instantly spent all my time with her."

"Well, what is your job?"

"I . . . I can't say. It's against the rules to tell hum-, _I mean,_ people like you."

"Oh, well, is there any way you can delay your assignment?"

"I'm not in total control. If she doesn't fulfill her role, I could probably stay, but it's inevitable. The only way I can stop her is telling her not to go to that pier, but I can already see that she won't listen to me," she said. Christopher arched his eyebrow in confusion. Whatever her job was, it didn't make any sense to him. She sighed. "I don't expect someone like you to understand. You've never experienced something like that."

"Well, I have felt loneliness after my father died and when the love of my life totally detached herself from me for three months."

"That's different. Have you ever felt like no one ever loved you or everyone feared you? That's the kind of loneliness I'm thinking of."

He grew silent, but soon said, "I've never experienced anything like that myself, but I know someone who did. Her name is Erika and because of a deformity she had since birth, she had to hide from the world for so many years."

"See! That's the loneliness I'm talking about. My only problem is my lack of self-control, but it's like a deformity to everyone that knows me."

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Theit eyes followed the voice and saw Katia coming down the alley toward Lilliana. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she lied as she put on a smile.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Daaé."

"At this point, you can call me Christopher," he said.

"Well, Christopher, what were you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Lilliana said coldly, trying to escape the topic, but Katia shrugged her arm off.

"How rude of you! I don't care if you act like a demon, but you aren't one. If you're acting like this, you don't want me to know something."

"N-No I don't! It's just-," she stuttered.

"Christopher, what did she tell you?"

"Christopher, I swear that if you say anything, I'll kill you," Lilliana threatened under her breath.

"It's nothing serious. I was just saying that I met an old flame of mine and I want to take her to dinner," he lied, fearing for his life.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful . . . but aren't you married?"

"Well, yes, but I just want to have dinner with her. I didn't say I was going to try to woo her."

"You say that now, but it won't be like that. No matter how hard you try, you can't hide those feelings. Once you get the slightest bit of desire, you can't control yourself," Lilliana warned.

"Well, I did promise her that if we have dinner, we will leave immediately, so I won't be tempted."

"Wait, you've spent ten years searching for her, but you'll leave after just one dinner," Katia asked in confusion.

"It was what she wanted. She said that my life was in danger if I stayed here any longer. Apparently, Nadir is after her heart too."

"Oh I know. He's my next assignment," Katia said, but was soon kicked in the shin by Lilliana. "Ow, what was that for?"

"You can't say something like that in front of him. It's against regulations," she said.

"That's ironic coming from the person who doesn't like following the rules."

"Well, I've stayed away for ten years. I can do it again to make her happy," Christopher said.

"Things have changed, Chris. Before, you didn't know where she was and now you do. I'm telling you now, the temptation never goes away," Lilliana said.

"Stop being a pessimist, Lily," Katia said, "You're starting to bum me out."

"I'm not trying to be one. I'm just telling him the truth, but it seems whenever I do, people just can't accept it."

"Anyway, if you don't mind, I should be getting to my motel room. It was nice talking to you two again," he said as he awkwardly left their side.

"Bye," Lilliana said, but when he was out of earshot, she continued, "You're done?"

"Yep. She had quite a life, but a short one, nonetheless. I'm sad to see it end so fast because of tuberculosis. I'm curious to know how they'll react when they see her."

* * *

The next morning, Christopher headed toward the Fantôme Theater. After everything he discovered last night, he couldn't help but see her again. He did tell Rachel that he met Fantôme, but he did not say that he saw Erika. All he said was that he might have a chance to get a job, but she would like to discuss it over dinner tomorrow night. There, he planned to say that she had no slots available as of now for him to perform, but she'll send a letter if there are any in the future. Then, he would plan to leave Coney Island, but he did wish he could change her mind. However, he noticed something was off when he saw a familiar group of melancholy people outside the doors of the theater. "I thought she was getting better," Wendy said through tears.

"I didn't hear anything from Doc, but I reckon he was trying to spare us the misery," Jackson said.

"And this was better," Monte asked with anger.

"All we know now is that she is with Dios now," Bianca said.

Soon, Christopher approached them and asked, "What's going on here?"

They were all reluctant to answer, but Bianca finally said, "Samara is . . . dead."

"What," he asked with a regretful tone.

"She died last night. Apparently, she had a severe case of tuberculosis and it was too much for her to handle," Monte explained. "Poor girl. She just started her career. It's a shame it had to end so abruptly."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Is she still in the infirmary room?"

"No, she's in the morgue. Fantôme and Doc took her there not too long ago," Jackson said.

"Would you mind taking me there so I can say goodbye," he said. They looked at each other, trying to get an answer from a facial expression, but they nodded.

The group took Christopher to the morgue on the other side of town. The area surrounding them seemed to reek of death, almost like they were at a graveyard minus the headstones. Once they finally arrived to the dark building, they escorted him inside the building. They were met by a receptionist who said in a kind voice, "Hello, may I help you?"

"We're here to see Ms. Samara Ether," Monte said.

"Ah, yes, the new arrival. She's in room 27B. If you'll just take the stairs down one flight and make a left, it should be the first door on the right," she said as she pointed to the staircase.

"Thank you," they all said as they proceeded down the stairs. Just as instructed, they turned left and approached the door on their right.

"I think it's best if we stayed out here. She needs her space and Nadir has comforted her through this troubling time," Wendy said.

"Wait, is Nadir with her right now," Christopher asked with a little jealousy in his voice.

"Not right now. Unfortunately, he had work to do and couldn't stay for long, but she wanted to be alone anyway. Maybe you can comfort her," Bianca suggested.

"I can try," he said as he opened the door. As he entered the room, he saw that Erika was in a chair, crying into her legs. She was faced away from the door toward what appeared to be compartment drawers for dead bodies.

"Why did she have to die," she said in between tears. "She was so young." Despite not seeing her face, he could tell she was a wreck. Why? Wasn't she the one who kidnapped Samara during the opening show of Don Juan Triumphant? What happened over these ten years that made her have a change of heart? Regardless, she needed to be comforted. He slowly approached her and gave her a gentle hug. She was frightened at first, but said, "Christopher, is that you?"

He was surprised as he asked, "How did you know it was me?"

"Only you would try to be quiet about giving me a hug. Nadir likes to make a big deal with the little things." She wiped her tears as she looked at him. She smiled as she said, "I'm happy it's you though."

"I'm glad to hear," he said as he returned the smile.

"She would have had a promising career. She had a certain talent that I haven't seen among the other performers I have seen, well, other than you. She just got most of the lead roles the last three years, but now, it's all over for her. If she lasted just a bit longer, I bet she would have been a star, like you, but I guess fate had a different plan. Oh, she didn't deserve this," she said as she continued to cry.

This time, he comforted her with these words, "It's all right, my love. You did all you could for her and now, I bet she's singing with the angels in heaven." He wiped her tears and looked deeply into her eyes. Her eyes; how he missed them. Even with the mask, her sapphire eyes were in clear view. Those eyes that were once filled with despair and loneliness were once again filled with those emotions. Oh, how he hated to see her upset.

"Thank you, Christopher," she said. She noticed how close his face was to hers and she turned away, blushing. Suddenly, they heard the door open and in came Lilliana. She had what appeared to be a large scythe in her hand, but she seemed surprise to see her there. "Oh, are you the undertaker," she asked in genuine curiosity and a little anger. After all, she was associated with the woman who told her that Samara was going to die.

"Um, sure," she said hesitantly as she set down the scythe. She clapped her hands and said, "All right, so who died?"

"Uh, Samara Ether," Christopher said, a little surprised by her blatant response.

"Ah, yes, her. Well, I'll make her beautiful for her funeral. When do you want it?"

"As soon as you can, please. Her whole theater family is already here and the sooner we put her to rest, the better," Erika said.

"Sure, Eri-, _I mean_ , Fantôme. I'll have it, _I mean_ , her prepared soon, but I need you two to leave now. I need to prepare the body."

"Oh, of course," they said as they left. As soon as they left the room, Lilliana sighed in relief as she grabbed her scythe.

"People can be so stupid when they're depressed. Now, back to work."

* * *

Surprisingly, everything was ready just before sunset. There was a slot available and the coffin was ordered at the morgue. The entire theater crew bought flowers and other items they would need for the funeral. Lilliana dressed Samara's body in a white dress and made sure she looked beautiful. The audience was small, just the theater crew, the Girys, Darius, Erika, and Christopher. Lilliana and Katia stayed away from the service, especially since Erika was still mad at Katia for saying that she would die. "For a fake undertaker, you play the part perfectly. I've never seen someone set up a funeral that quickly," Katia said with a smile.

"I had nothing better to do. Besides, they caught me and I had no other choice but to play along," Lilliana responded.

"Aw, how cute. I've never seen you help others," she said teasingly as she squished her cheeks, but Lilliana swatted her hand away.

"Shut up!" Katia laughed, but Lilliana continued, "And you know that I know someone who loves this job more than anything."

Meanwhile, at the ceremony, everyone, even the men, was in tears. No one expected to spend their day like this. "Samara Ether was loved by those she was close to. Although her life was short, she made a lasting impression to those she loved. She is now in God's undying love and she's at rest," a priest said. They set the coffin in the ground and some people threw dirt into the slot. While most of the theater crew left, Christopher and Erika stayed to pay their homage. Christopher was reluctant to do or say much in case his emotions took over his body.

"Are you going to be okay," Christopher asked.

"I hope so. I've survived far worse than this, like when you broke my-," she said before stopping herself. "Sorry, I've said too much."

"Well, you're not wrong, but I promise to change that," he said.

She looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean? Our arrangement was that I would have dinner with you and then you and Rachel would leave. What is this talk about changing yourself?"

He paused a bit, but said, "S-Sorry. I guess I always want to please you," he said. "I know that was our arrangement, but is there any possibility that you could change your mind."

"No. If Nadir and Annabel are working together, then I fear that your life is in danger. The sooner you leave the better. Besides, I can't understand why you would want to stay? You're married!"

"Yes, to her and you! I haven't seen you in ten years and I would like to see what you've been up to all these years."

She sighed as she said, "Still, my mind has been made up."

"I . . . I understand," he said before he hugged her. It was sudden, but being in his embrace again really felt nice. She couldn't help but accept it, despite every fiber in her body told her not to. However, someone was watching their little intimate show.

"So, you two really did meet," Nadir said as he walked up to them.

"Why would I lie about that," Erika said, still bitter about his decision to bring him here.

"I was reluctant to believe it since you said you didn't want to meet him if he ever showed his face here."

Erika was reluctant to say this in front of Christopher, but said, "Yes, I did, but destiny has a different plan, apparently."

"Well, I managed to distract Diana from all this. She's at your office right now, but when are you going to tell her about-," he tried to say, but she shushed her.

"I'll tell her, don't worry," she said aloud, but her eyes said, "You idiot! Don't mention my daughter around Christopher!"

"Oh, Diana! I haven't seen her in a while. Maybe I can stop by the theater and see her-," Christopher tried to say, but was interrupted.

"That won't be necessary," she said abruptly. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to go home. It's been a long day for me."

"Of course. You should get some rest, love. I'll see you tomorrow and maybe, I can take you to dinner," Nadir said.

"I'm busy tomorrow night," she said as she kept looking at Christopher. "But I wouldn't mind seeing you anytime earlier than that, that is, if you are willing to come clean."

"Come clean? What do you mean by that? I've told you everything already," he said, but received a glare.

"Let's see about that. Goodbye gentlemen," she said as she left their side.

"Do you mind if either one of us accompanied you," Christopher said.

"No, I'm fine. Just go home to your wife," she said as she walked away from the cemetery. Christopher wanted to follow her to make sure she would be all right, but decided that she needed her space. He was about to go back to the motel room, but Nadir stopped him.

"So, what do you two have planned for tomorrow?"

"Just a dinner. Why?"

"A dinner? That's how you plan to win her heart? I've tried that for ten years, but she's never fallen for me."

"I'm not trying to win her heart. I just want a dinner so I can see how she's been for the past ten years. After that, I gave her my word that I would leave Coney Island."

Nadir arched a brow as he said, "I have trouble believing you."

"Look, she didn't want to meet me, right? In fact, it seems she's begging me to leave because she thinks my life is in danger if I stay," he said with a laugh. Nadir laughed too, but it was very uncomfortable that even Christopher noticed. "If that's what she wants, who am I to deny her wishes?"

"I hope that's it. I've made her happy all these years, but here you are; confusing her emotions and toying with her heart! If you hurt her anymore than you already have, I'll see that you'll never be able to do it again. I love her and I'll do anything to protect her, even lay down my life for her. I swear to Allah!"

"Woah, woah, woah; I just want a dinner? How am I going to hurt her with just a dinner? Like I said, once we have dinner, I'll leave and live happily with my wife, Rachel. I promise."

"Let's see about that," he said before leaving his side, almost furious by this exchange. Christopher was left alone to his thoughts. Nadir must truly love Erika if he would court her for this many years, but it must hurt him that she hasn't returned those feelings. He thought that must be how Erika felt when they didn't confess their love all those years ago. All that pain. All that suffering. All that misery. He couldn't imagine. Still, if Erika was right about him trying to do something to get rid of the rival, he and Rachel should leave immediately, but at the same time, he found the love of his life. He didn't want to leave her side no matter what, even at the face of death.

He looked at the headstone for Samara and said aloud, "I remember when you sang at the Palace Garnier and you sang lovely. Despite your appearance was short-lived, you managed to impress your future boss to the point she offered you a job at the Fantôme Theater." He couldn't believe that someone who was afraid to interact with society managed to set up such a famous theater, even if she had help along the way. One woman; Fantôme. Then the thought of that little girl, Diana, crossed his mind. She was so cute and Fantôme must be a proud mother to have such a musical child in her life. Yes, Diana, Fantôme's child . . . wait a minute.

Fantôme's daughter?! Diana?! No, that couldn't be! There's no way she could be her daughter . . . right? Erika had a child?! He couldn't believe it, but the first question that popped into his mind was, "If Diana is hers, then who is the father?"

* * *

Nadir stormed into Annabel's barbershop and immediately locked the door. Annabel was surprised to see him as she walked down the stairs in a fast pace. "Didn't I just see you yesterday? You can't possibly grow hair that fast?"

"I saw Christopher embracing my dear Erika! It was disgusting," he said with anger.

"What did he do exactly?"

"He was hugging her, which doesn't seem too bad, but I don't want another man, especially him, touching her at all and to make things worse, he's going to have dinner with her!"

"Really? When?"

"Tomorrow night! He said that after dinner, he would leave Coney Island, but I don't believe him. We have to prevent this dinner of theirs before he can take her!"

"He said he would leave after the dinner? Why would you try to stop him," she asked with deductive reasoning.

"Why would you say something like that?"

"If you try to prevent them from having their dinner, I would bet that he would try to reschedule the dinner until they eventually meet, making him stay longer, but if you allow him to have dinner, chances are that he'll keep to his word and leave Coney Island."

"Huh, I never thought of it that way," he said now with hope in his voice. "Then, I guess I'll let them have dinner and if he's the honest man she wants me to believe he is, he'll leave."


	8. Not Now

The next day was filled with anxiety. Christopher was anxious to see Erika, Erika felt uneasy to see him, and Nadir was nervous about them meeting. Still, they had a full day to prepare for the fateful meeting. In the Fantôme Theater, Erika stayed in her office, avoiding any contact with anyone. Most people believed she was still depressed by yesterday's events, but that's only part of it. So many emotions were tangled up inside her; she lost a dear friend, one of the only people that actually knew her personally has turned nasty all because of a petty rivalry, and the man she both loved and swore to stay away from was now going to meet her for dinner. There was so much stress on her that she didn't know what to do with it.

"Mother, are you okay," Diana asked. Erika looked up from her desk to see her daughter peeping through the door. "Everyone is worried about you."

"I'm fine, darling. I just want to be left alone today," Erika said softly.

"Why?"

"I just had a long day yesterday and have an even longer day today."

"I hope you feel better. Don't forget; I'm here for you whenever you need it," she said as she hugged her.

"Thank you Diana," she said as she kissed her daughter's cheek. She always knew how to cheer her mother up. Just a hug and some kind word always seemed to do the trick. "How is everybody feeling today?"

"Some people are still sad about yesterday, but they're okay for the most part. It's sad, but Samara is at a better place now."

"Yes, she is. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. I cried when I heard the news, but I'm better now."

"That's good to hear."

"Have you talked to Monsieur Daaé yet?"

Erika grew quiet, but she said, "Yes, I have and I'm going to see him again tonight over dinner."

"Oh, that's good. Is he going to work here?"

"I . . . I don't know. He is a very busy man, but I can try for you."

"I hope he can. It would be nice to have him around. I bet you would be super happy if he performed for us since you seem to love him."

Erika chuckled a bit as she said, "You have no idea how right you are, but yes, I would be happy."

"I wonder how Nadir would feel if he saw you looking at him with love in your eyes."

Erika looked at the floor as she said, "He would probably be very jealous."

"I bet he would be. Don't worry, I won't tell him about the dinner."

"He already . . . thanks," Erika said. It wouldn't be wise for her to give Diana any reason to question her or she would never drop the topic.

"Well, I'll watch the rehearsals for you while you work. See you later," Diana said as she left the room almost in a hurry. Erika couldn't help, but smile. She was lucky to have her daughter around . . . wait a minute. Doesn't Christopher know she has a daughter? He has met Diana, much to her dismay, and she has told him that she is Fantôme's daughter. Dammit, he must have made the connection! Oh no, this is really bad for her! What was she suppose to do? Would he ask about it? What would happen if he found out? Damn! This dinner was already stressful on her, but now, it has become worse!

* * *

"How come I can't come to dinner with you tonight," Rachel asked as she and Christopher were eating lunch at a bar by their motel room.

"I've told you before: she wanted to see me and only me. She'll think you're my manager and she doesn't like managers interfering with performance negotiations," he explained.

"Can't I just say that I'm your wife and I want to support you?"

"She'll still think that you'll try to negotiate terms."

"Oh, I guess you're right," she said with a pouty face. She found it a little suspicious that Fantôme wanted to meet him alone for dinner, especially after everything she heard about her. "I guess I'll just go shopping while I wait for you."

"If that's what suits you, but I don't want you to go out at night by yourself. Can Nadir or Darius come with you," he asked. Even though he wasn't on good terms with them, or at least Nadir, he thought that they were probably the best people to watch her.

"They're too busy with their spice shop. Do you think Annabel Lee would come?"

"I don't want you to hang around with her especially after she kidnapped you at Phantasma."

"But she didn't . . . well, I guess you're right. She could have at least asked before taking me away, but I have no one else to go with." Suddenly, Katia walked into the bar and sat down at a table near them, but didn't seem to notice them. She seemed uneasy, or at least, impatient, as she kept staring at the door.

"How about Katia?"

"Katia?"

"Oh, she's a friend I met at the Fantôme Theater. She reminds me of you in a way. You're both sweet and dedicated to the people you love. I'm sure you two can get along."

"If you think so, then maybe I can," she said hesitantly. Christopher turned in his chair and waved his arm to get her attention. After a while, she finally saw him, but didn't get up from her chair. Even though he gestured her to come to them, she didn't. In a bit of annoyance, he got up and walked up to her.

"Hello, Katia," he said as he sat in the chair in front of her.

"Oh, would you mind not sitting in that seat. I'm waiting for Lilliana to show up," she said nervously.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he got up.

"It's all right, but why did you want me?"

"I was wondering if you could go shopping with my wife tonight. I'm going to be away for dinner with a potential employer and I don't want her to go alone at night."

"I . . . I'm not sure I can. I've got work to do . . . but I think Lilliana could. She shouldn't be working tonight."

"Either way, I would be happy if either of you two could accompany Rachel tonight."

"All right. Tell her she can meet us by Annabel Lee's barbershop at five o'clock. I'm sure that will be enough time."

"Yes, thank you," he said with appreciation.

"Well, this is a surprise," Lilliana said just before sitting in her chair. "What were you two discussing before I came here."

"Christopher asked us to take his wife, Rachel, shopping this evening. Is that all right with you?"

"Tonight? Don't you have work tonight?"

"Well, yes, but I thought that you would escort her while I'm gone."

"Do I have to? I mean, I'm sure she's a nice woman, but I don't want to be a babysitter."

"Please Lily. I promise you that I'll stay with you as long as I can before I have to go to work. I know you're not a big fan of shopping, but just for this once. Please," Katia said with puppy dog eyes.

Lilliana sighed as she said, "Fine, but you owe me one, both of you."

"Thank you," Christopher said as he hugged her, making both her and Katia very uncomfortable. He then left their side and sat back in his seat. "They said they would accompany you."

"Oh good, but who's the other woman?"

"That's Lilliana."

"I hope she's going to accompany us because I have to buy her a dress. Who is she trying to fool by wearing pants?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I'm glad someone can take you."

"I'm glad you still care for me after all these years. Most men would grow weary of their wives after ten years, especially if they can't bear children, but you've stayed. Why?"

"Why would you ask me a question like that? I love you, Rachel. After everything that happened in Paris, you were my rock and I was your rock when you needed support."

"Do you still think about Erika?" At the sound of her name, he grew quiet. "How could you not? I mean, she is different from any woman you have ever met. You've told me that many times before. . . She was never found dead. Do you believe she could still be alive?"

"It has crossed my mind."

"What would you do if you ever found her?"

He was silent, but said, "I would ask her to dinner to see how she has been living since then."

"Would you leave me?"

"Of course not," he said. "I wouldn't want to disgrace our marriage since I love you with all my heart."

She smiled as she said, "Thank you. I really need to hear those words from you." After a while, Rachel and Christopher finished their lunch, paid the bill, and left the bar, not realizing that Annabel Lee was watching them in the distance. She was contemplating on how to expose Christopher's dinner to Rachel, but things have become complicated now that Lilliana was going to watch her. _Dammit_ , she thought to herself.

* * *

5:45 finally arrived and Christopher waited anxiously outside the Fantôme Theater. Erika told him to not make any reservations at any restaurant since she already had plans for them. He was wearing a tuxedo, but he didn't stand out since everyone else around him was wearing elegant attire. A show was going to start at six, but some people recognized him and stopped to talk to him, saying positive things, like they loved his work and hoped he performs in America some time soon. However, as six o'clock drew closer and more people looked for their seats, Christopher felt more and more nervous, that is, until he felt a hand grab his. "Sorry for making you wait. I had to make sure there weren't that many people around," Erika said, hiding herself behind him.

"You're still as shy as ever," he joked as he turned around to face her. She was wearing a slightly puffy black dress with long black gloves. Her mask was white and her lips were as red as roses. "You look beautiful."

She smiled as she said, "Thank you. You look handsome too. Come, I've got dinner all planned out. Follow me."

"Wait, where are we going?"

"Box 5."

* * *

Lilliana, Katia, and Rachel went around shopping, despite Lilliana's protests. She wasn't the type of girl that liked to go shopping, which shocked Rachel. She believed that every girl had that inner desire to shop, but not this one. "How do you two think this dress looks," Rachel said as she showed the two women a gold dress.

"It looks beautiful! I'm sure you'll look amazing," Katia said with excitement. "Don't you agree, Lily?"

"Yeah, sure. You'll look . . . smashing," she said with little enthusiasm. This lasted for a couple hours until Katia looked at her pocket watch with a worried face.

"Oh my goodness! I'm running late for my assignment. I promise to be back as soon as I can," Katia said quickly before kissing Lilliana and leaving the store. Lilliana smiled as she watched her leave while Rachel was left in almost shock.

She turned around and noticed her expression. "What?"

"Are you two . . . ," Rachel tried to ask, but couldn't think of the right words to say.

"A couple? I guess you could say that. We have been for over a year," she said nonchalantly, but Rachel's face showed disapproval. She had to admit, she wasn't the biggest supporter of same-sex couples. She thought they were weird and unnatural, but didn't think that they were going to hurt anybody. They were just . . . different. "Oh, I forgot, your kind thinks same-sex couples are weird."

"What do you mean 'your' kind'?"

"What, you don't like that label? Humans like you like to label anyone that is attracted to the same gender that, along with many other names. What did you call them? Queer?"

"I mean, I'm not comfortable with it, but I'm not totally against it."

"What's wrong with it? It's just two people in love. I mean, there has been so much shame throughout the years for homosexuals. Discrimination, murder, rape. You name it, they've done it. Even after everything, discrimination still exists, but I can bet that even if humanity matures, things will never change." Rachel stared in silence. Why did she have to be stuck with this woman? At least Katia wouldn't bring up such a topic. "Sorry, I had to get it off my chest. It's just that I notice these looks whenever Katia and I want to show affection. We've even been threatened for our attraction. Where I come from, there is no discrimination. Anyone can love whoever they want and not be judged. Heck, I know a man who believes he is a woman and loves a bunch of guys, but we never judge him because of his gender. We judge him by how promiscuous he acts."

"And where is this place, exactly?"

"You wouldn't be able to find it on a map, but I can assure you that it's in England." After a moment of silence, Rachel proceeded to buy the gold dress she showed them earlier and Lilliana suggested, "Want to get something to eat? I'm a little peckish."

"Sure, but will Katia be able to find us?"

"Oh, don't worry, she will. She's an excellent tracker," Lilliana said with a smile. The two women walked to a bakery across the street from the shop and they ordered two fruit-filled crepes. Lilliana ate her apple-filled crepe rather fast while Rachel ate her strawberry one slowly.

"So, how long will Katia be gone," Rachel said in between bites.

"Not too long, I hope," she said as she looked at her broken pocket watch. It was a gift from an old flame of hers, but it has been broken since the day she had to leave him. "She should be here soon." After a while of waiting, they noticed a familiar face looking through a window of restaurant, looking for someone. "Oh, hi Annabel Lee," Lilliana yelled at the top of her lungs. Everyone in the bakery looked at her with angry faces and Rachel couldn't help, but blush in embarrassment. Annabel looked in their direction and she expressed an angry glare. She tried to walk away like she didn't notice them, but it was too late. "Don't act like you didn't notice me."

Annabel let out an angry sigh as she started walking in their direction. She got to their table and she angrily said, "You have a lot of nerve trying to talk to me after everything you've been telling me!"

"What, the truth?"

"You keep telling me I'm going to die if I help Nadir."

"Well, you will," she said nonchalantly, but Annabel pulled her collar and pulled out a razor from her purse. "Oh, so intimidating! I almost died of fright," Lilliana mocked.

"I could kill you right now if I wanted to, but I wouldn't want the employees to clean up the blood after I slit your throat."

"Annabel, stop it," Rachel yelled. She never seen this dark side of Annabel Lee and was afraid that something bad could happen. After a while, she let go of Lilliana, who was still unaffected by the threat.

"You think I'm the bad guy, don't you?"

"No, I don't. I just don't want to see anybody get hurt," Rachel said in a worried tone.

"Everyone thinks I'm this evil person who just kills at random! Ever since I was accused of cannibalism as a young child, people think I'm the bad guy, but I was actually the victim! In fact, I still am! Even though I try to help Nadir win Erika's heart for ten freaking years now, I'm still labeled as the assassin!"

"Wait, _Erika's_ heart," Rachel asked.

"You screwed up, Annabel," Lilliana said. Even she knew to keep her mouth shut about all this.

"Shut up," she threatened her, but soon had a realization. "You know what? I'm tired of lying to you! Nadir doesn't want you to know this and neither does Christopher. Fantôme is Erika. Yes, the same Erika that burned down the Palais Garnier and kidnapped your husband ten years ago. She's here in America and she is meeting with your husband right now."

Rachel just stared in utter shock. It couldn't be. Why would she say such a thing? She knew she was a good liar, but why would she lie at a time like this? There was no rhyme or reason. "You . . . you lie," she said trying desperately to not believe her.

"What would I have to gain by telling you this? My job is to make sure that the two of them are separated without making it too . . . messy. I know what it's like to be the second love and it's painful. I don't want anyone else to feel that way."

"And here comes the dark side of 'love'," Lilliana said with air quotes. "People don't understand that love is more painful than it is 'magical'. Whether you are the second love or the harmful lover, someone always gets hurt. It never lasts and even when you think that death won't end it, it does. I can't stand that word!"

Rachel was now in tears. After all this time, it wasn't just a job he was looking for here. He was still looking for his Erika! It hurt her so much to know that the man she loved was still in love with another woman after all these years. He has grown weary of her after all and to add salt to the wounds, Annabel added, "She also has a daughter."

* * *

As Christopher and Erika arrived to Box 5, he felt uneasy. How is she going to react to all of this? How would _he_ react to all of this? He had so many questions to ask her, but he didn't want to bombard her with them just yet. When they finally arrived, she opened the door with a gold key and inside was a little dinner prepared for them. It wasn't really anything fancy; it was just some sandwiches and wine. "I would have prepared some filet mignon or something like that, but I wouldn't want to make my audience hungry during the show with the delicious smell," Erika said as she guided him in.

"No, it's fine. I understand, but you do realize I want to ask you about your life here. Won't that disrupt the audience?"

"Oh, the mezzanine floor isn't open to the public for this performance. We will be able to talk without disrupting anyone," she said as she took a seat. "This is the first time you've been in my Box 5, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Even in Paris you didn't invite me since I was always on stage." She smiled, but grabbed a sandwich and slowly took a bite from it. Soon, the show started and Bianca came on stage to sing the show's opening number. "I'm curious what going on in that woman's head. She always wanted the spotlight, but I hope she never intended to get it like this. She was Samara's understudy."

"Nobody could have predicted it," he said comfortingly, but she used every inch of her strength to blurt out that Katia did. "So, how did you manage all this?"

"I had a lot of support. I met Nadir on my way to America and the Girys came here some months after that. Everyone has been so supportive, even after everything."

"How did you manage all this," he said as he gestured with his arms the theater.

"I had some money, but Nadir helped fund the Fantôme Theater when I needed the money. After a while, Erik helped finish it."

"It's amazing what you've been able to accomplish over these past years! You're an amazing woman," he said with a smile.

She smiled as she said, "Thank you."

"I'm curious, though, is he your . . . um, lover," he asked, afraid to hear what she was going to say.

"He wants to believe we are, but we aren't. He has tried to win my heart since I left, but no matter how hard he tries, it never seems to work. After all, I did promise that my heart would always belong to you," she said in a slightly unhappy tone.

"But are you happy? I mean, I don't want your promise to prevent your happiness."

"Oh, don't worry, I am. I do allow him to court him, but we've never kissed. Besides, I'm too busy for a relationship," she said before sighing. "But enough about me; I want to see what you've been able to accomplish all these years."

"Well, I did become an opera star in Europe, but I'll be honest, work has been scarce lately. Some people still believe I'm a bad luck charm after . . .," he said before pausing himself. Her smile soon vanished and she didn't say anything. "But I don't blame you. In fact, you're the only reason I have a career in the first place."

"I'm glad to hear," she said before finishing her sandwich. They continued watching the show and it was the same show that Christopher saw before: the devil vs. husband story. Watching this particular show with Erika brought up new connections in his head. The devil . . . was he supposed to be Erika? He didn't want to make that connection, but it kind of made sense in his mind. After all, she remembered the cruel name she called herself.

"The Devil's Child," he whispered under his breath, but she still heard it.

"Hm?"

"Oh, nothing; I'm just thinking to myself," he said, embarrassed that she heard him say such a hurtful name. "Even after losing everything, she still stays with him. She must truly love him."

There was silence between them. She didn't talk much and really didn't watch the show. It seemed to him like she had a lot on her mind, but he expected that. "So, how did you manage to gather these talented people?"

"Well, most of these people came to America in hopes of a fruitful life and at the time, I was building the theater with Nadir. They saw the project and said they would like to work there when it was finished and that was it. They all have been so kind and loyal throughout these years that they have become like family," she said with happiness in her voice, but her tone changed as she continued, "Samara was different though. When I finished building the theater, the Opera Populaire just celebrated their first successful show. Samara was only a chorus girl at the show and I was sad to hear it. Nadir suggested that I should offer her a job since he saw the show and I agreed since I saw her perform during Don Juan Triumphant. Not only that, but I felt guilty for what I did to her that night and thought that this would clear my conscience."

"Still, I'm very impressed that you were able to accomplish all this. I mean, I haven't done much."

"What are you talking about? You have performed all over the country and I'm sure you've been a loving husband to Rachel."

"Y-Yes, I have. Even after everything she has been through with her brother's death, I was her rock."

"I'm so sorry to hear. How did he die, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Some man obsessed with my cousin killed him."

"Your cousin?"

"Yes, her name is Christine Daaé," he said. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she was angry by his earlier statement.

"So, this man _killed_ her brother? Did you or anyone else even bother to ask what happened? For a while, they thought I killed Samara until they found her in an abandoned dressing room. People can say the worst of things about people. I would think that out of all people, you would know that."

Christopher was embarrassed, but it was clear that she might know the man that kidnapped his cousin some time ago, but didn't want to bring it up. "I'm sorry. You're right; I should have known better." They continued watching the show and they were at the final scene; the devil has challenged the man to a duel for the love of his life. "So, who are you in this story?"

"I beg your pardon," Erika asked in shock. She wasn't expecting a question like that.

"Who are you in this story: the devil or the husband?"

She was silent, trying to contemplate the answer, but she finally said, "In a way, both. In the beginning, I felt as I were the husband when I felt that your love would save me from everything that life had given me, even if it was a little too late. I think you know when I turned into the devil."

He looked uneasy at that statement. "You weren't a devil to me. You were still the same person, but with heartbreak in your eyes."

She smiled faintly. "You really think that?"

"Of course I do," he said lovingly. Finally, the last scene was shown. The couple, now with a child, sang about their undying love for each other and even the child, who Christopher recognized as Diana, sings along. "That's Diana, right?"

"Yes, it is. I'm sure you have a cute little one after all these years."

"Actually, I don't," Christopher said almost regretfully. Erika looked at him with shock in her eyes. "We can't have children. She's . . . infertile."

"Oh . . . I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I mean, Rachel had a hard time accepting the fact when she found out, but we've learned to cope."

"D-Do you want children?"

"I mean, of course I would, but I guess fate has a different plan." He noticed that she was especially quiet and decided to ask, "What about you? Would you want your very own children?"

"I don't know. I'm already a busy woman as it is. If I don't have time for a relationship, how could I find time to care for a child," she lied. She couldn't just flat out admit that she had a child, but after everything he told her, she didn't want him to live a child-less life. She was right; she was a busy woman, but she still found time for her dear Diana. In a world of darkness, anxiety, and depression, she was always her little light.

They were quiet for a while as the curtain call approached. There was a loud cheer for every character, but as soon as Diana approached the stage, Erika clapped loudly for her, more than everyone else. "I wonder who her mother is. I mean, everyone keeps telling me that Fantôme is her mother, but that can't be since you are her." Erika was quiet, which made Christopher more suspicious. "Who is Diana's mother?"

"I'm sorry, Christopher, but I have to go," she said suddenly as she tried to leave the room, but he held onto her arm. She knew this was going to happen.

"Wait, at least answer my question. Who's her mother," he said, almost convinced that she was hiding something.

"Now is not a good time. I have to go," she said as she shook off his hand and ran out.

"Wait," Christopher yelled as he chased after her. He didn't know why, but this reminded him of the first time they met when he was chasing his mystery girl. Some things never changed, do, they.


	9. Red on the Blade

"Do you think it was wise to just let him have this dinner with her? He could be trying to woo her as we speak," Nadir said to Annabel and Darius as they waited for dinner at her house. Besides being such an exceptional barber, she was also an amazing cook and her dishes, while unique, were delicious.

"If you want him to leave, then yes. He seems like the guy who would keep his word. Besides, does he really have it in him to leave his wife of ten years," she said as she served them food. Nadir looked at her curiously. "Oh, don't worry. It's steak."

"You're telling the truth?"

"It is, master, or she must have found the right seasonings to make it taste like it," Darius said as he kept eating the meat.

He looked at her again and she reaffirmed, "It is just steak. I wouldn't do that to you. Besides, the good meat is in a cooler downstairs," she said as she sat down and started eating. Despite how delicious the food was, she seemed to look . . . disappointed.

"What do you think he's doing right now," Nadir said as he angrily cut his steak.

"Well, it's nine o'clock, so the show must be over by now. Maybe they're finishing their conversation and he is debating whether to kiss her or not," Annabel teased, but Nadir slammed his fist on the table.

"Don't you dare say something like that, Annabel! Now is not the time for you to tease me," he yelled as he slammed his fist on the table, but she pulled out her razor in self-defense. "Don't pull out that little thing. What can you do with that?"

"Nadir, out of everyone I know, you know best what this little blade can do."

"Can you two stop fighting? I swear, you two fight like a married couple," Darius yelled after finishing his meal. The two of them snapped out of their argument and continued eating. "That's better."

"You know, Darius, you are the only guy who can talk me out of killing someone. Too bad that silver tongue couldn't convince Rachel to be curious about what is going on with Christopher."

"I tried my best, but she didn't see any reason to be concerned. She trusts him."

"Well, it wasn't good enough," Nadir said.

"I'm sorry, master, but what else could I do?"

"You could have dragged her to that show and made sure that the two of them didn't meet."

"And let her know that we know about their little secret? We would have betrayed her trust and we would have been seen as backstabbers," she said.

"So what?"

"Unlike you, I try to make good appearances to people. After all, it hides the demons that lurk in a person's soul."

"How funny, coming from you. How was your last encounter with Lilliana," he said teasingly. He knew how much she hated that Englishwoman.

"It could have gone better, but I think I handled it well. Speaking of which, after dinner, I need to get a drink at the bar," she said as she tried to calm her growing anger.

"You just left the bar to make dinner. Don't you think you've had enough," Darius asked out of genuine concern.

"You can never drink too much liquor," she said as she drank out of her flask.

"Though, what's in that isn't just liquor, is it," Nadir asked.

"You know me too well, don't you," she said as she took another bite out of her food.

After a moment of silence, Nadir asked, "Are you certain that he will leave after this?"

"Yes, he should leave, unless he learns the truth."

* * *

"Erika, you have to open the door. Please, just answer my question," Christopher said as he continually knocked on her office door. The sneaky woman locked the door, but he thought she would eventually give in. Why would she run away from him? What was she hiding? All he wanted was an answer, but now, it seemed that the answer was pretty clear.

"Go away, Christopher. I enjoyed your company, but you need to leave now," she said through the door, though her voice seemed to crack.

"No, I'm not leaving until you give me an answer. Who is Diana's mother?"

"You promised me you would leave after dinner. Well, it's the end, so go."

"You think after all this time I would leave you like this? I don't want this to be my last memory of you before I leave."

"Monsieur Daaé," a voice said. He looked and saw Diana looking at him banging the door. "Is something wrong?"

"Diana, I'm actually glad to see you. Can you answer some questions for me?"

"S-Sure; what would you like to know," she asked nervously.

"You told me your mother is Fantôme, correct?"

"Y-Yes."

"And she is the manager of this theater, correct?"

"Well, yes."

"Does she wear a mask to hide her face from everyone?"

"Yes. She won't take it off for anyone except me and Nadir."

"And what does her face look like," he asked, slightly surprised that Erika would show her face to her child. Well, it wasn't too surprising, really. She can't hide her face from her own flesh and blood.

"I guess it's pretty scary for some, but I don't find it scary."

"And is her real name Erika Destler?"

She was quiet. "Well, everyone calls her Fantôme, but I hear Madame Giry and Meg call her Erika. I just call her mom."

"So, Erika is your mother?"

"Y-Yes, but why won't she let you in her office?"

"I want to ask her a question, but she won't answer it. Is there any way you can get inside?"

"I have a key," she said as she pulled out her gold key from her pocket.

"Thank you," he said as she slid the key in the keyhole and unlocked the door. He hurriedly opened the door, but to his surprise, she wasn't there. She vanished; not a trace of her anywhere. Didn't he hear her voice? However, he saw the large mirror without the cover over it and walked toward it. "You can't fool me twice, Erika. I know you're little mirror trick, remember?" Silence.

"Mama, he really wants to see you again. He . . . loves you, right," Diana asked. Christopher looked at her with curious eyes. "Even a child like me could see that. If he wants to see you this badly, then he must love you. The real question is . . . do you love him back?" Silence. "Mother, I know you love him too. You have articles about him hanging on your wall along with articles about the theater. Plus, there's one name I hear all the time: Christopher."

"Please, just answer me. If you do, I'll leave," he practically begged. There was a moment of silence, but they heard something click and not long after, the mirror began to move on its own. Once it was open, Erika stepped out with tears running down her cheek. "So, is it true?"

"What's the point in asking that question anymore? Haven't you figured it out already," she said, almost angry at him, but mostly herself.

"I want to hear it from you," he said gently.

"Fine, yes, it's true. Diana is my daughter," she blurted.

"Why didn't you tell me," he said as he tried to hug her, but she pulled away.

"What's the point in me telling you?"

"You wanted to keep me a secret," Diana asked, almost insulted by the statement.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," she said as hugged her child.

"Well, I only have one more question: who is the father," Christopher asked.

"Can we just drop this? You got your answer; now go," she said rather coldly.

"Just one more question. Who is the father? I need to know."

"Isn't it obvious? Honestly, who do you think is the father?"

"Nadir?"

"He has been a big help over the years, but if I haven't allowed myself to even love him, then I for sure wouldn't sleep with him."

He thought about it and finally realized something. "How old is she?"

"She's ten years old."

"Ten . . . years . . . old. You left me ten years ago after we . . . ," he said as his eyes opened. "Am I the father?"

"It took you this long to figure it out?"

He looked at her with shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only was Diana her child, but . . . she was his child too. "I . . . I can't believe it. I . . . I have a daughter," he said in shock.

"Mother, what's going on," Diana asked, trying to figure out what the two of them have been saying this whole time.

Erika looked at her and said, "Diana, you do remember that I said your father is a good man, right?"

"Yes, but are you saying . . . ,"

"Yes; your father is the man you see right before you. Christopher Daaé, meet your child, Diana Destler," she said as she slightly pushed her toward him. She was too shocked to respond, but he knelt down and gave her a hug.

"It's good to meet you at last, Diana," he said, almost about to cry. However, he felt tears falling into his shoulder.

"Father? I never would have guessed that I would meet you! I almost started to believe that I didn't have a father," she said in between the tears.

"You know something," he said as he looked into her eyes. "There was something about you that was so familiar to me and it wasn't just that you look a lot like your mother, but it was because I saw some of myself in you. It took me this long to realize it." He heard someone crying, but it wasn't Diana this time. He looked up and saw Erika with tears running down her cheek and mask. "Why didn't you tell me about her sooner?"

"Well, I didn't want to trap you or give you a reason to leave your wife. I thought that you might have kids of your own and forgotten about me and I thought letting you know you have a child by me would complicate things, so I let you believe this lie."

"And has Nadir been a good father to her?"

"Well, I don't think she views him as her father and neither do I, but he does love her like she was one of his own. In a way, yes, he has."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said as he hugged Erika. "But I really don't want to leave you two now, not after all of this."

She was quiet, but Erika said, "You can sing once more at my theater. After that, will you promise to leave?"

"You're going to make him leave," Diana said, starting to cry again.

"As much as it pains me to, he has to go and live with his wife. I'm afraid he can't stay with us."

"But-," he tried to say, but she touched his lips with her finger.

"One more song. That's all I ask. After that, you should leave. You're still in danger."

"Danger?"

"Yes, Diana, and the longer he stays here, the more danger he and his wife will be put in. Please, Christopher. Will you do as I ask?"

He was quiet, but said, "Fine, but can I do one more thing before I leave?"

"What is it?"

"This," he said as he kissed her. He has been waiting ten years to do this again and he knew she felt the exact same way, even though she wouldn't admit it. True, he kissed her when he first found her, but it didn't feel as emotional as it did now and she knew that too.

Through closed door, Annabel Lee heard the entire conversation and despite what a catastrophe this would be to Nadir, she seemed . . . happy. She was smiling knowing that he finally learned the truth about Diana. In her heart, she knew that Nadir would never win Erika's heart and secretly hoped that this plan will fail, which it has the longer he has stayed here, whether it be her fault or not. After all, if someone should have Nadir's heart, it should be . . . her. "I'm glad I decided to take this detour. How can he expect to win her heart after all that? He doesn't stand a chance."

* * *

"I'll have another drink," Rachel said as she drank down her ninth shot of vodka. It was late in the night, almost midnight, but she has been at this bar for hours. She was an absolute wreck with her makeup smeared from all the tears pouring out of her eyes and her hair a mix of curls and long straight hair since she kept messing with it, whether pulling it or pushing her bangs out of her face.

"I think you've had enough, Madame," the bartender said as he cleaned the glasses.

"I said I would like another shot," she practically yelled. Luckily, she was the only one there, so she wasn't bothering anyone.

"You know, I find it sad to see someone drink down their problems when they could work to solve them. There's a reason why you're drinking tonight, I presume?"

"My husband . . . he's found an old flame."

"Oh, so has he left you for her?"

"Not yet and I fear that he will . . . but why wouldn't he? I mean, look at me! I'm not the pretty little girl who cheered him on during one of his shows. I've lost everything and I can't even provide the things he needs," she said as she started to cry again.

"I don't understand why wives who have husbands cheat on them think that it's their fault that he left. Wake up! He's to blame."

"You don't get it! I made a promise to him and that woman that I would be the wife that would give him everything he needs, but I can't even bear children for him, but she has already given him a daughter."

"I still think you aren't to blame, darling. Well, my shift is over and the next guy will come and help you. I hope everything goes well for you," he said as he started to leave. However, as soon as he left the door, the next person came in. However, he didn't take off his coat and began to work.

"I would like a glass of wine, please," she said to him. "I've had a long night. . . . Leave the hurt behind."

"I can see that, Rachel, and I'm sorry I caused you this pain," a familiar voice said, which alarmed Rachel. She looked at the bartender and she could finally see a white mask covering the bartender's face.

"It's you," she said angrily as she got up from her chair, but she was so drunk that she fell to the ground on her bottom. "I should have known you wanted to gloat."

"What are you talking about? I just wanted to talk to you like gentlewomen," Erika said calmly, as if she was trying to tame a wild animal. She tried to help her up, but Rachel scooted away from her and got up herself.

"What's the point? You've won! He's not going to leave you! You were the love of his life, or should I say, you _are_ the love of his life. I'm nothing compared to you," she said angrily.

"He chose to marry you. He loves you because if he didn't, he would have left you to find me."

"He _loves_ me? You must be joking. It's only because you told him to not find you! Otherwise, he would have searched the whole world for you! All this time, he did this all for you and loved me because you told him to and despite I love him with all my heart, I wasn't the woman that could provide for him. Do you realize what you have done? You have given him a reason to stay in this dreadful country all because of that stupid letter!"

"Rachel, I didn't write that letter. My friend, Nadir, did. He sent that letter hoping to prove me wrong, but he was in fact the wrong one. I never intended all of this."

"That's right, I heard about that, but it doesn't matter now! Does he know that Diana is his daughter?"

Erika looked at Rachel in shock. "How did you-,"

"Annabel Lee told me! Apparently your worst enemy is now my best friend in this godforsaken country. She's the only person here who tells me the truth. I trust her."

"Rachel, I'm warning you now: if you continue to keep close contact with her, I guarantee that she will kill you."

"What? Are you serious? Why would she do that?"

"She is a murderer working with Nadir!"

"Oh, now you're a liar? She's a sweet woman with a temper."

"She is a cold-blooded killer with a bloodlust."

"She is a woman lovesick for a man who loves someone else," Rachel blurted. Erika's eyes widened at the statement. "She doesn't want this plan to work out. In fact, she is rooting for you two to get together since she believes that Nadir will finally give up and love her."

"I . . . I didn't think anyone like her would fall in love with someone. Still, she is filling your head with lies."

"Is she? I would know what it feels like when the man I love falls in love with another woman."

"Rachel, have you forgotten that I felt that pain too? I was an utter wreck and severely hurt when I saw you two kiss. I became a person seeking revenge."

"Right, that same person that burned down the Opera Populaire, right? Well, the difference between you and me is that he has always loved you. Even when he was with me, he would always say your name or have you on his mind. I was just a distraction."

"Rachel-,"

"I don't want to speak with you anymore! Just go," she said angrily. "It was a mistake to have come here."

"All right, but I just wanted to let you know that Christopher will be singing at the Fantôme Theater and I wanted you to see him sing again. After that, I have asked him to leave."

"Why would he leave after he learned that he has a child? I bet he would want to be part of its life."

"She is not an _it_. Her name is Diana and all I ask is for you to watch him sing and to stay away from Annabel Lee. Please," she said as she left the bar regretfully. Rachel just plopped onto the bar stool and started to cry like a little child. It was bad enough that she felt worthless, but did that woman have to show her face now out of all times? Why wouldn't she be crying after all of that?

"Oh, you poor girl; you can't look like this the next time you see Christopher. You are a noblewoman, after all," a voice said. Rachel looked up and saw that it was Annabel Lee. "You look like a mess. You know, I have some makeup at my shop and I can fix up your hair for you."

"T-That would be great," she said as she wiped her tears.

"If you're hungry, I can make you something to eat."

"I would like that."

* * *

"Here you go, dearie; some delicious meat pies," Annabel said as she served her new friend some freshly made meat pies. As promised, she fixed Rachel's hair and makeup while giving her generous amounts of alcohol to the point that she was more noticeably drunk. Annabel sat down as she watched Rachel eat one of the meat pies and she loved what she tasted.

"This is delicious! I've never tasted a meat pie like this," she said as she stuffed her face with more.

"Well, I'm sure you haven't. It's a very different meat that you can't find in stores, but I have ways of finding it," she said with a smile.

"You have to tell me what it is! Maybe I can find it for myself and make these."

"I'm afraid if I told you, you wouldn't eat anymore."

"Please, I'm begging you. What's your secret ingredient," Rachel begged.

Annabel's face faded by the question. She would be disgusted by what she was eating, that was a given, but she did promise her that she wouldn't lie to her. Well, of course she was going to keep some secrets, but she hasn't had a female friend in a long time. "If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone. I don't want anyone, especially your husband, to find out about this. Promise?"

"I promise," she said as she raised her left hand and placed her right on her heart.

"All right; my secret ingredient is hum-," she tried to say, but she heard the bell ring from the front room, which meant one thing. "Oh, it's a customer."

"It's nearly one in the morning and you're still open?"

"I'm open twenty-four hours a day. I've noticed the men around here are so busy during the day that they can't get a shave whenever they want, so they wait till the wee hours of the morning to get one," she said as she headed for the front room, but stopped to say, "You should get some rest, dearie. You've had a long day."

"Are you sure? You just fixed my hair and makeup? I'll ruin it if I go to bed," she said as she tried to get up, but nearly fell out of the chair.

"It's all right; I can fix it in the morning. Besides, you need rest and you shouldn't come downstairs," she said as she helped her up the stairs to a spare guest room.

"Why? You're not a . . . prostitute are you?"

"No, I'm not, honestly. You need to rest and I can help you with your problem tomorrow. Promise me you won't come downstairs."

"I promise," she said as Annabel guided her to the bed. Rachel closed the door and Annabel headed downstairs to the man anxiously waiting for her in the waiting room.

"This is a pretty place you've got here, miss. I'm surprised you're still open," the man said.

"Well, I need all the customers I can get. Have a seat, why don't you," she said as she guided the man to a chair. As she gathered the materials she needed, she asked, "Do you have a family, sir?"

"Well, I used to, but not anymore. My wife of ten years left me for a man she met in Germany and took the kids with her," he said regretfully.

"Oh, that's awful," she said in a fake sad tone. What he said was music to her ears. She was running low on food anyway.

Rachel was getting bored in her room. For some reason, despite being drunk, she wasn't tired. There was something keeping her awake. In fact, it was her stomach. It felt like she was going to . . .

She ran out to look for the nearest bathroom. There wasn't any upstairs, so she was forced to go downstairs, breaking her promise to Annabel Lee, but she had no choice. She ran down the stairs as fast as she could and ran to the nearest bathroom she could, passing Annabel and the man covered in red. Once she ran into the bathroom, she threw up the meat pies and booze from tonight until there seemed to be nothing left. Though, this was all too familiar to her. The poor girl has been doing this almost every month whenever she had access to alcohol. It was sad, but that's why she had Christopher with her. He helped control her and encouraged her to not drink. He was a good husband to her, but was she a good wife to him?

Once she was done, she washed her face, washing away the makeup in the process and cleaned herself up. She walked out the bathroom and was heading upstairs, but she saw Annabel hurriedly cleaning up some red on the mirror and floor and there was a sheet over the chair she just saw the man sit on. "What's going on here, Annabel," she asked, but as soon as she saw Annabel, she noticed that her dress seemed to have red spilled on it. In fact, there was a lot. "What happened? Are you okay," she asked worriedly.

"I told you to stay upstairs," she scolded.

"I had to . . . Where did that guy go?"

"He left. Now go back upstairs. I'll talk to you later," she said, but soon, the sheet started to slide off on its own, revealing the man with his throat slit and blood all over his clothes and chair.

"Oh my god! What the hell happened?"

"Rachel, I'm warning you now, go upstairs now and sleep or I will make you," she said threateningly.

"Annabel, what happened? D-Did you kill that man?"

"Get upstairs now," she said as she showed her the razor, now coated with red blood. "You don't want to make me hurt you."


	10. Regret

The next morning, Rachel woke up with a huge headache. Her face was a mess due to tears and the makeup wearing off due to her constant tossing and turning. Her hair was all over the place and bobby pins were either hanging on for dear life to strands of hair or on her bed. She got up on the bed, but she realized something: she wasn't in her room. Christopher wasn't sleeping next to her. Everything around her was different, but not unfamiliar. In fact, she has seen them before. The last thing she remembered was drinking her emotions away, then Erika appeared, probably to gloat her victory, but she appeared to be sympathetic. She was always a trickster, wasn't she? After that, Annabel offered her to make something for her to eat. Then she had a customer and she was forced to stay upstairs, but she has to puke and headed downstairs and then . . .

"Rachel, are you awake," a voice said through the door. Rachel looked in the direction of the voice and tried to hide, but there was nowhere to hide. However, it didn't matter since Annabel opened the door. "How are you feeling, dearie," she asked, but Rachel didn't respond. "You were pretty drunk last night. You were throwing up, but I managed to help you back upstairs."

"That's only because you threatened me to," she said weakly, afraid of what she would say back.

Annabel signed. "So, you do remember what happened last night. I was afraid of that."

"What are you going to do to me? I know your secret, so I guess the logical thing to do is kill me."

"Kill you? What do you take me for, a blood thirsty killer," Annabel asked, but then said, "Well, aren't I a hypocrite. However, I'm not going to kill you. I still see you . . . as a friend."

"I don't think I can say the same for you."

"I get it: you're frightened, but believe me when I say that I don't want to hurt you."

"Were you planning to kill my husband?! Is that what you and Nadir have been planning this whole time," she asked frantically.

"What? Why would I do that when you know that I want his plan to fail?"

"Well, you would do anything for Nadir, correct?"

"Yes, but he has told me not to do it. Besides, even if he asked me to, I wouldn't. I wouldn't murder him . . . unless he promised to feed me afterwards."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, I'll come clean to you. I have to make a living somehow and I don't get a lot of regular customer. If I were an ordinary barbershop, I would have gone out of business a long time ago. After all, who would get a shave from a woman . . . unless they thought they would get something out of it. I have enough customers to pay the rent, but not much to eat. So, I have to resort to desperate measures . . . free meat."

"Annabel, you're not suggesting-,"

"I'm sorry to say, but I am a cannibal," she said. Rachel gasped in horror and started to tremble. "I've been able to not get caught because I only kill men who have no one to miss them when they are gone."

"Oh my god! D-Does Nadir know," Rachel asked in horror.

"Yes and despite that, he has seen me as a friend, but I wish he could see me as more than that."

"I'm not sure that will be possible, especially since he knows the real you."

"If he didn't care about me in the first place, then he would have turned me in a long time ago."

"How do you know he cares about you and not out of fear," Rachel asked, but immediately regretted what she said.

Annabel was silent, but chuckled. "You know, Rachel, in order for the plan to fail, there is only one thing in the way: you. Christopher won't leave you so easily."

"What are you talking about? He will! Why wouldn't he after everything I've failed to do for him," Rachel yelled, almost about to cry.

"Rachel, do you really believe he doesn't love you? My god, he has been married to you all this time and despite everything that has happened, he has stayed with you. If he didn't love you, he would have left a long time ago to find his dear Erika. Despite all your flaws, he has been your rock and shield and has protected you from your own vices. By staying with you, it proves that he loves you and that's why you're the problem. As long as you're here, he has a reason to leave here. As long as you're here, he won't go to her and his daughter."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"You're going to help me. Otherwise, you will see up close and personal what I do for a living."

* * *

"Rachel, where are you," Christopher said as he searched the entire motel for his dear wife. He came home late last night, but only because he wanted to know everything that had happened to Erika and Diana after she left. He didn't come home until maybe midnight or so, but was surprised to see that she wasn't there. At first, he was worried, but thought that Lilliana and Katia were keeping her late in case he decided to come home late. However, in the morning, he was worried that Rachel didn't return to the motel room. That morning, he searched the entire motel for her, but couldn't find her anywhere. Where the hell was she? "Rachel!"

Suddenly, he heard one of the doors open in the distance and hoped it was Rachel, but was disappointed to see an angry Lilliana. She was wearing a white silk robe, but had a scowl that chilled him to the bone. "Do you know what time it is? It's five in the morning, Chris. Can you just wait a couple more hours before shouting? You'll wake up the neighborhood."

"Lilliana, I'm glad to see you," Christopher said as he was about to hug her, but she stepped back before he had the chance. After all, she was wearing only the robe and nothing else.

"What the hell do you want at this hour?"

"Who is it, Lily," Katia's voice said from another room.

"It's Christopher," she yelled.

"Can he come at another time?"

"I'm trying to tell him that, dear," she said as she rudely tried to shut the door, but Christopher stopped her.

"Wait, I have to ask you some questions about Rachel," he said.

"What about her?"

"She didn't come home last night and I'm afraid something bad has happened to her," he said with worry in his voice.

She sighed, but said, "Look, yesterday didn't go according to plan. Come back here in about five minutes and we'll tell you everything, all right?"

"What happened? Is she all right?"

"She was the last time we saw her, but just give us some time to change," she said as she closed the door. He put his ear on the door, hoping to find answers, but what he did hear worried him even more:

"I told Christopher that we would tell him about what happened yesterday."

"Why? She's the one who ran away from us. Besides, we couldn't help it. Annabel told her everything."

"Speaking of her, did you get her recent victim's soul?"

"Yes, but I had to wait until she put the body downstairs. Who cleans up the mess and then disposes of a body?"

"You know, it's rude for someone to listen through a door," a voice said some distance away from Christopher. He turned toward the voice and saw Nadir. He was no longer the cheery fellow he remembered, but one that was free to show his bitterness. "So, I'm assuming you're not keeping your word about leaving here."

"I . . . She wants me to sing a song at her theater and then I promised to leave," he replied as calmly as he could. He knew that anything could set him off and didn't want to say anything wrong.

"Whose idea was it? Did you force her to do this? You know she is very vulnerable right now," he said with growing anger.

"No, nothing like that; she actually offered me to perform."

"When will it be?"

"Tomorrow night."

"And then you promise to leave," Nadir asked, but Christopher grew quiet. "You are such a pest, you know that, right? You are a man who breaks his word any chance he gets and I'm sick of it."

"And it is no different than a man who schemes behind her back with a murderer," he said, now with his patience being tested.

"So you think that too? She is just a barber who works long hours to make a living."

"Erika is a great judge of character and can tell the rotten apples in from the rest."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean? Regardless, you can't love two women at the same time. You have to choose who you truly love, Erika or Rachel. . . . Tell you what; let's make a gamble out of this."

"Nadir, I don't-,"

"Just hear me out. Tomorrow night, you will have two choices. One: you won't sing, leave this place with Rachel, and never come back. Two: you will sing, stay here with Erika, but must divorce Rachel, and I will stop my pursuit. What do you say?"

"Nadir, I don't want to be part of this deal!"

"Well, I don't want you to hurt Erika ever again. If you stay here any longer with Rachel, you'll just leave and break her heart again. Plus, it's not her heart you're breaking. You've become involved in Diana's life now and I don't want you to hurt her as well."

Christopher was silent, but said, "What would you gain by my answer."

"I will finally know if you are the same man that she loved all those years ago. The one who ran across the stage and sang a song meant for someone else to her."

Christopher was reluctant, but said, "Fine. It's a deal," he said as he shook hands with the man.

"Excellent. I will see you tomorrow night . . . or not," he said as he left his side. Soon, he heard a door open and saw Lilliana come out with her usual white shirt, vest, and pants. She gestured him to come in and he followed. As he entered, he was surprised how the place was decorated. They had a lot of antique items lying around, but what surprised him were two weapons leaning against a wall: a large scythe and a katana. For sweet women, well not really for Lilliana, but still surprising for him, it seemed odd to him that they would have weapons. Do they have a lot of robbers try to steal their stuff?

"We don't really have a lot of visitors, so excuse the mess," she said as she guided him to a chair.

"Lily, what do you think of this skirt when you go back to London," Katia said as she held out a black skirt for Lilliana to see.

"Do I really have to wear something like that when I get back?"

"Yes. After all, don't you want to catch the guys' attention," she said teasingly, making Lilliana's eyes widen with shock, but then kissed her cheek. "I'm only joking, but I do want you to wear something different than this. You always wear this."

"Katia, we have more urgent matters to discuss than what I'm going to wear," she said as she hinted at Christopher.

"Oh, I guess it's time," she said in a disappointed tone. The two women sat on the couch across from the chair Christopher was sitting on.

"What happened to Rachel," he asked.

"Look, everything was going well before I left for work," Katia said. "I took her out shopping, like you said."

"But when she left, everything went downhill. . . . Look, I didn't intend for this to happen, but Annabel showed up and . . . she told Rachel that Erika was Fantôme."

"What? How come you didn't stop her," he said angrily.

"She blurted it out before I had the chance. What was I suppose to do? After that, she ran off crying and we don't know where she went."

"Why didn't you follow her?"

"I was caught up with Annabel's razor and couldn't follow her," she said as she showed him her bandaged hand. "She stabbed it out of anger."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said apologetically.

"It's fine. . . . After that, she left in a hurry, but we haven't been able to find Rachel."

"Do you have any idea where she is?"

"I doubt she would shop her emotions away," Katia said. "If I were her, I would buy a drink or two."

"Or a lot," Lilliana said.

"Maybe she spent the night at the bar. I'll check there right now. Thank you," he said as he got up from the chair and headed out.

"You're welcome," Katia said as she guided him out the room. "Well, goodbye," she said as tried to close the door, less rudely than Lilliana, but he stopped her too.

"Hey, I'm going to perform at the Fantôme Theater tomorrow night-," Christopher said, but was interrupted.

"I'm sorry, but Lily and I are busy tomorrow night. Hopefully we'll see each other sometime soon," she said apologetically.

"Oh, well then. See you soon," he said as he left her side and toward the motel exit.

Katia sighed. "I'm glad that's over. If I was late to work, my boss would kill me."

"You still have ten minutes. Calm down," Lilliana said as she grabbed her large scythe and threw Katia her katana.

"I guess you're right. It's just . . . tomorrow night . . . you're going to go back to London," Katia said with a sad tone, but was surprised by a kiss.

"We don't have enough time to be moping around. We've got work to do," Lilliana said with a smile.

"How's your hand," she asked as she removed the bandage around her hand, but there was no wound.

"I told you it would heal quickly," she said as they both headed out the door.

* * *

Nadir walked back to the Annabel's barbershop, hoping to talk about the wager. It was still early and she didn't usually wake up until the late morning, but he thought he might as well read one of her books while he was there. However, as he opened the door, he was surprised to see not only Annabel awake, but also Rachel, who looked absolutely horrified. "You're awake at this hour," he asked.

"Oh, Nadir, I didn't expect to see you this early in the morning," Annabel said in shock.

"What is she doing here and why isn't she with Christopher," Nadir said in slight anger in his voice.

"She had too much to drink last night, so I decided that she should stay here for the night instead of her just roaming the streets by herself."

"Then why didn't you just accompany her home?"

"Well, sometimes when someone gets drunk, they can't think straight. It was better this way." He scoffed, but didn't say another word. However, he saw Rachel's expression and she looked utterly terrified.

"What's wrong with her? She looks like she saw a ghost."

"Not exactly; she saw . . . a corpse," Annabel said regretfully. Nadir looked at her with shock as she continued, "She saw me kill a customer and now, she's too scared to even _look_ like she was okay."

"So, you were sloppy? We can't let anyone know your secret!"

"I know, but I've scared her so much that she is willing to work with us, right Rachel?" In a frightened haste, she nodded. "As long as she wants to live, she'll work with us."

"Is this true, mademoiselle?"

"Y-Yes," she said nervously.

"Well, this is great! After all, I just set a wager with Christopher."

"A wager? What are the stakes," Annabel asked.

"He plans to perform tomorrow night at the Fantôme Theater and since I want him to choose who he loves more, I told him that he can either not perform and stay with Rachel or perform and I would stay away from Erika."

"And this is supposed to benefit you how?"

"It will finally give me an answer. If he truly does love her, then he would divorce Rachel to be with her. If he doesn't, then I don't want him around to hurt her again."

"But will you keep your word if he does sing tomorrow night. You know, for a man who criticizes a man for not keeping his word, you're not too far behind."

"What are you talking about? I always keep my word."

"Well, you said when we first met that you would stop pursuing her if you didn't get a kiss from her by the end of the year . . . but here we are. Then you promised her that you would find someone else and not waste your life away some time before that, but here we are."

"Shut up," he yelled rather coldly, managing to actually silence her, something that wasn't easy to do. However, his tone changed when he said, "I'm sorry, Annabel, but now that Rachel is joining our team, she can help us. If she can show him that he still loves her, then he won't leave her. What do you say, Rachel? Will you help us?"

Rachel looked at Annabel and said softly, "Sure."

"That's great! Well, I should be heading to the spice shop before Darius makes a muck of things. He may be a great salesman, but he is not as great of a business owner. I'll see you soon," he said with a smile, trying to cheer Annabel up, but it didn't work. Instead, she guided him out without saying another word.

As she closed the door, Rachel spoke up and said, "You are in love with that guy even after all that?"

"My head says no, but my heart says yes. What is wrong with me? I'm in love with him knowing that if we were together, it would never work!"

"Well, if Christopher does sing, will you two finally become a couple?"

Annabel sighed, but she said, "I hope so, but he is not a man of his word. I'm afraid that even if he loses, he will still try to win Erika's heart, no matter the cost. I may be a killer, but I only do it to eat. However, I'm afraid that if I continue to love him, will I be willing to do as he wishes?" She was quiet and was able to hear the kettle in the kitchen whistling. "Oh, the tea is done. Would you like some?"

"Sure," she said. Annabel left the room, leaving Rachel alone with her thoughts. So many things were flooding her head: Annabel is a murder; Nadir wants to win Erika's heart, the bet, and finally, her sudden involvement with Nadir's plan, and Annabel's mixed-up feelings. Should she try to escape and tell Christopher everything she has learned? Should she just follow through the plan to save her life? What could she do? She was helpless.

Annabel soon entered the room with a silver tray with a teapot and two teacups. She then poured the tea into a cup and handed it to Rachel as she said, "I'm far past saving, but if you want to help anyone, help your husband. What is best for him: leaving here with you to save his life or letting him stay here with Erika? Just look into your heart and you'll find the answer."


	11. No Going Back

"Things have become quite complicated, haven't they," Bianca said in between rehearsals. Despite no one really told them directly, the cast and crew were able to piece together what was happening. Ever since Samara's death, they got to see the talented Christopher Daaé and the charm that Fantôme clearly loved. They have also seen the competition between him and Nadir over her and . . .

"I'm still betting that Nadir is going to win over Fantôme," Monte said as he showed a ten dollar bill to everyone.

"If we're gamblin', I reckon that Christopher will win," Jackson said as he showed him a twenty dollar bill. "That is, if you're willin' to raise the stakes."

"Gentleman, there is no need to bet on this," Wendy said, but continued, "I bet Christopher too."

"Nadir has made her happy para diez años and you think a sudden old flame will swoop her off her feet that fast? My money's on Nadir," Bianca said as she showed her money.

"What are you doing," a voice said from behind them. They all turned around in fear and saw Madame Giry, who could be a lot scarier than Fantôme without even trying. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers as she said, "Please tell me that you aren't betting on Fantôme's love life, are you?"

"No," they all said unconvincingly as they hid the money in their pockets.

"You all mean well, but it's none of your business," Madame Giry said. "Besides, don't you have rehearsals to attend to?"

"We don't have to rehearse tonight," Meg said as she arrived on the scene. "We never really get that many breaks and tonight, we don't have to perform."

"Still, there is no time to be placing bets on who Er-. . . Fantôme will fall in love with."

"Mother, you and I both know who she's going to pick. It's his choice now."

"You honestly think he will leave her after all these years? He's a married man, Meg. He has to think about more than just his feelings."

"I understand, but I still believe that Christopher loves her and won't leave Erika and Diana so easily."

"I don't know how she has managed to get herself caught in this mess. She was always a careful woman who never liked leaving a trace."

"It wasn't her fault; it was Nadir's."

After a moment of silence, Madame Giry changed her attitude as she said, "All right, everyone. I'll leave you to your . . . bets, but don't let Fantôme know. She might be insulted by the gesture."

"No problema, Senora Giry," Bianca said. Madame Giry left their side and the four pulled out their money and argued who would be the better option. Even Meg put in twenty bucks in the pile. Who did she pick? Do I really need to tell you?

Madame Giry walked into Fantôme's office, surprised to see that it was unlocked since this was usually when Erika spent time behind the mirror. In order to keep her secret safe, she would always lock the door, hoping people would think she was busy, but not this time. Maybe she wasn't behind the mirror this time? Regardless, Madame Giry placed some finished paperwork on her desk, but before she could leave, she heard two sounds: a violin and a tenor voice. Though, they were muffled and someone wouldn't really be able to hear them unless the room was absolutely quiet, but she still heard it. Madame Giry walked closer to the mirror and the noises were getting louder. Yep, she was on the other side and she wasn't alone this time. She smiled as she left the two of them alone for the time being.

* * *

"You were a little flat on the F. You need to support your diaphragm," Erika said as she stopped playing the violin so she could correct him. "And those are sixteenth notes, not eighth."

"I'm sorry, but I guess I got a little carried away with the song. It's very beautiful," he said as he examined the sheet music.

"It is, isn't it, but you have a lot of rehearsing to do. You'll be performing in several hours. You don't have time to be distracted."

"You're right, I'm sorry . . . I'm just nervous about performing tonight."

"Why would you be nervous?"

"It's just . . . ,"

"The bet?"

He looked at her with surprise. "How did you-,"

"Lilliana told me about it. Apparently, she heard the whole thing and thought it was best that I should know. Grant it, I didn't want to hear anything she had to say, but that was something I needed to hear."

"So you know what this means to me?"

"Yes, I do, but it's your choice. I'm not forcing your hand. I'm just giving you a song to sing if you do decide to perform . . . if you choose to perform it."

"Erika," he said with a sad tone. She knew this whole time and she wouldn't try to influence him to stay?

"It's for you to decide. I'm not going to make you choose like I did last time. This time, you have a choice to stay or go."

"And you're not . . . ,"

"I'm angry at Nadir for putting you up to this . . . but I'm not offended."

"How? I would be."

"Because . . . I robbed you of your choice last time. Now, I want to know who you will choose."

"But . . . ,"

"Well, I think we have had a long enough break. Let's get back to work."

* * *

A few hours before the performance, Nadir, Annabel, Darius, and Rachel discussed amongst each other at Nadir's spice shop. Usually, it would be open at this hour, but Nadir decided to not open the shop today. After all, this was a fateful day for all. Nadir would finally get his answer, Annabel and Darius would finally be able to end all of this madness, and Rachel can see where Christopher's heart truly lied. This has been a trifling week or so and soon, it would all be over. "So, you're going to use this poor girl to your plan," Darius asked.

"Yes. She will convince Christopher that she is the woman he truly loves. He seems to be a man easily influenced by the people he cares about, so I'm sure this will work," Nadir said.

"And if it doesn't," Annabel asked.

"Why do you keep questioning me? It's like you want the plan to fail," he said angrily.

"No, it's just Christopher will follow his heart. What if his heart is with Erika and leaves this poor girl hung to dry?"

"Then that's my answer, but I want to give him a nudge to our side. Will you do that for us, Rachel?"

"I . . . I don't think I have much of a choice," she said in a sad tone that only Darius and Annabel picked up.

"That's the spirit! Now, what shall we have for lunch, Annabel?"

"I'm not in the mood to cook," she said.

"Really? What's the matter? Did you eat something rotten?"

"No, it's just that I had a long night and so has Rachel. I'm just going to go home until the show."

"You don't even want to eat with us at a café," Darius asked.

"I'll make something for myself," she said.

"All right, then," Nadir said as he, Darius, and surprisingly Rachel headed toward the door, but were stopped.

"I would like to talk to Nadir privately before you all go," Annabel said. Darius and Rachel walked out the door while Nadir stayed behind to talk with Annabel.

"Did you change your mind after all," he said, but he soon saw her uneasiness. "What's wrong?"

"Nadir, you know I would do anything for you, right?"

"Of course. Ever since we met, you were onboard with my plan. You even offered your . . . services if necessary."

"Yeah, but have you ever wondered why I would help you out of all people? Many men have come inside my shop talking about their many ways of winning over a variety of girls, but you were different."

"I just thought that . . . ( _chuckle_ ) I don't really know what I thought at the time."

"Well, it's because I . . . I . . . why did you stay by my side even after you learned about my . . . acquired tastes?"

"Well, you intrigued me. Sure, your cannibalistic nature frightened me at first, but you proved yourself to be a worthy member of the plan. I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

"That's all I was . . . a valuable member of the plan?"

"Well, I guess you're also one of my closest friends that I can share my deepest and darkest secrets to since I know yours."

"Anything else?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Well, it's just that . . . if the bet ends up with Christopher being with Erika, I just wanted to let you know that . . . it wouldn't be that bad for you."

"What do you mean? It would mean that ten years of courting would all be for a waste. I mean, I set the stakes, but I'm . . . scared of losing," he said in a genuine scared tone, but she hugged him, something he was surprised she would do. She wasn't really an affectionate person at all.

"I know, but I want to know that you wouldn't be alone," she said as she looked into his eyes. Without a moment hesitation, she kissed him, which caused him to push her back.

"What the hell, Annabel?"

"Please, Nadir. You have been going after this girl for ten years now. When will you give up on her? I can't bear to see you in this much pain, especially when you don't have to be. Nadir . . . I love you," she said, practically in tears. He was shocked to see her like this.

"Seriously? For how long?"

"Several months now," she said, trying to calm down, but it wasn't working.

"Annabel, I do care for you . . . but I'm sorry to say that I don't feel the same way."

"But . . . I did all of this for you. You were so sweet to me even when your heart wanted someone else. Despite all that, you never felt . . . anything for me?"

"I'm sorry, Annabel, but . . . I'm not the man for you. I'm sure there is a guy out there for you, but I'm not him," he said as he left the spice shop. She was now in a sobbing mess. The man she loved rejected her. She was sure that he would have some feelings for her, but he said he felt none. She felt as if her heart was torn in two and there was nothing she could do now.

Nadir closed the door and started to walk to the café, accompanied by Darius and Rachel. "So, what did she have to say," Darius asked out of curiosity.

"She said . . . she wanted to give me a shave before the show, but I declined."

"That was all? You were in there for an awfully long time," Rachel said, catching on to his lie. She had an idea what Annabel told him.

"Were we? I didn't really notice," he said.

Rachel looked at him and noticed some red on the side of his lips. Was that lipstick? "Uh, Nadir, what is that on the side of your lips," she asked as she pointed. He looked at her in confusion, but as soon as they passed by a shop with mirrors, he looked into one and saw the lipstick.

"Dammit," he said under his breath.

"So, there was more than just a shave?"

Nadir was caught in his lie and couldn't find any way around it. "Fine! She said she . . . loved me."

Darius looked in shock as he said, "Are you serious, master?"

"Yes, but I didn't want to tell you because . . . I don't feel the same way for her."

"Oh, you could have told me that before I told her that she should admit her feelings," Rachel said.

"Wait, you knew and you didn't even tell me?!"

"She's a friend and I don't tell secrets, especially to their crushes. Besides, she has been a wreck about all of this and I thought that if she told her feelings toward you, she would feel much better and I was hoping you would feel . . . something for her."

"Well, it didn't work, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but she's a strong woman. I'm sure she'll be okay."

* * *

A few bottles of gin later and Annabel was drunk. Sadly, that's what it took to get her just drunk. She hasn't been drinking as much as she normally would ever since she came to Coney Island, but one thing was still true: it took a few bottles to get her at least drunk. She couldn't remember how many bottles it took to make her pass out. She had a very high tolerance for alcohol ever since she learned that alcohol could help her forget, but it never lasted, now did it? Those memories she tried to forget always came back to her; watching her parents die right in front of her for cannibalistic crimes, a judge raping a woman, that same judge raping her, and finally, the death of her one true love. She couldn't figure out how she has lasted this long without killing herself, but she has and it was all thanks to alcohol.

"I see you're binging again," a feminine voice said at the door. Annabel couldn't see who it was since her chair was facing the wall away from the door and hoped it was Rachel, but that voice had an English accent.

"Go away! I don't want to hear anything from you," she said angrily.

"You know, alcohol can kill you, right? That much consumption is not good for your liver," Lilliana said.

"I don't care. I've been drinking since I was ten and it hasn't killed me yet."

"No, but you know why I'm here, right?"

"You're going to tell me that I'm going to die if I help Nadir?"

"Actually, no. Tonight, you're going to make some stupid choices that will lead to your death."

"God, can you ever leave me alone? It's like the Grim Reaper is looming over my shoulder when I'm around you," she said as she got up from her chair and walked to get another bottle of gin.

"You have no idea how right you are," Lilliana said under her breath. "Look, the reason I'm telling you this is that I don't want you to die. Once you do, I have to go back to London."

"There's no place like London, right," she said as she started to drink from the bottle.

"No, there isn't, but I don't want to go back, so the longer you live, the longer I can stay here with Katia."

"Why would my life matter that much to you?"

"Honestly, it doesn't, but if you stay home tonight, you can live another fourteen years. Please, Annabel, listen to-," she said, but felt a razor slice through her throat.

"Just shut up for once!"

* * *

It was finally time for the show. Christopher was in his dressing room, making sure his outfit that Erika provided him fitted well and looked great, and it did; one of her many talents that he admired. He was very nervous. As far as he knew, he was going to perform, but he had . . . doubts. What was the best choice for him? Whose heart would be broken and whose would be spared? Why was so stupid enough to even agree to the bet? He knew it was all for Nadir's ego, but he still said yes to it. He knew that someone was going to get hurt no matter who he chooses to be with. However . . . he needed closure himself.

"Ten minutes, Mr. Daaé," Jackson said as he passed by the dressing room. The door was still open in case any visitors wanted to wish him luck, but so far, the only people that came in were a couple of stagehands helping him into his outfit.

"Thank you," he said loudly, but with a shaky voice. Sweat was pouring down to his face and he kept wiping it, but more and more kept coming down. In mere moments, he would be on stage, the crowd will hush, and he would sing like he once did long ago.

"So, this is it," Rachel's voice said from the doorway.

"Rachel," he said happily as he got up from the chair to hug her. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?"

"I've been with Annabel Lee this whole time," she said.

"Seriously? Are you all right," he said with worry.

"I'm fine. It's just . . . do you really believe this is the best for you?"

"What do you mean," he asked. He didn't want to hint to her about the bet, fearing that it would hurt her.

"I mean, you finally are able to perform for Fantôme, I mean, Erika, but is this really what you want?"

"S-So you know."

She nodded her head. "Yes and a lot more than you think, but don't act so innocent. You did too. If it were any other woman, I would have been hurt, but she is your Angel of Music."

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I should have told you from the beginning-,"

"It's all right, darling; I understand. I just want to let you know that . . . I'm not going to stop you."

"Really," he asked in shock.

"Yes. There are people out there expecting a show, but if you leave now, your reputation could be in jeopardy."

"You do know that there are only a few people going to watch this right?"

"Who? Critics? Theater buffs? Reporters?"

"None of those, actually; only a few people that Erika invited. If I leave now, my reputation won't be ruined. In fact, I bet they'll understand."

"Oh, I didn't know that," she said as she was about to leave, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Rachel, please understand that no matter what I do tonight, I will always love you."

She smiled as tears filled her eyes. "I know, Christopher and I will always love you. I may not have been the perfect wife that you dreamed of, but I want you to promise me that you will do what your heart tells you to."

"I promise," he said.

She was about to leave, but stopped to say, "You look very handsome tonight. You remind me of that handsome boy I cheered for and snuck into your dressing room to see."

He smiled. "And you will always be that same beautiful woman I admired from the opera boxes with a bright smile on her face."

* * *

Christopher walked to the closed curtains and awaited the cue. This was it. He finally made his choice, but was nervous to see the people he loved. "And now, ladies and gentleman, we have a treat for you all! For tonight and tonight only, we are the lucky few that get to see this amazing performer sing like an angel! Now, may I present to you: Christopher Daaé," Meg said through the curtains. As he parted, he could see everyone: the Girys in front, the cast and crew, the Phantasma cast and crew, and in Box 5 was Mister Y, or Erik, Diana, and Erika. She was surprised to see him and looked like she was about to cry. However, he heard the orchestra play from beneath him. He took a deep breath and sang:

 _Who knows when love beings_

 _Who knows what makes it start_

 _One day, it's simply there_

 _Alive, inside your heart_

 _It slips into your thoughts_

 _It infiltrates your soul_

 _It takes you by surprise and then seizes full control_

 _Love gives you pleasure and love brings you pain_

 _And yet, when both are gone_

 _Love will still remain_

While singing, Christopher could see that Nadir was also a member of the audience. He looked very dissatisfied to see him, but he thought he saw . . . he didn't know exactly. His face didn't seem to be one of anger. It definitely had defeat, but there was something more.

 _Love never dies_

 _Love never falters_

 _Once it has spoken, love is yours_

 _Love never fades_

 _Love never alters_

 _Hearts may get broken_

 _Love endures_

He looked up to Box 5 again, but noticed something was off. Where was Erika? Wasn't she up there a second ago? All he could see was Diana and Erik. Where was she?

 _Love never dies_

 _Love will continue_

 _Love keeps on beating when you are gone_

 _Love never dies_

 _Once it is in you_

 _Life may be fleeting_

 _Love lives on_

 _Life may be fleeting_

 _Love lives on_

The song was supposed to end there, but he heard a violin continue to play. At first, he thought it was one of the musicians, but even they looked confused to who was playing the violin. He looked around, but saw that Erika was walking onstage, violin in hand. She played it as beautifully as ever, but this time, she sang as well:

 _Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime_

 _Lead me, save me from my solitude_

 _Say you want me with you here, beside you_

 _Anywhere you go let me go too_

 _Christopher, that's all I ask of you_

With those words, she stopped playing her violin and everyone cheered. Even Nadir cheered, along with some tears falling down his cheek. Christopher bowed, but as he gestured for Erika to bow too, she had disappeared. Well, she was always great at that, but did she really have to leave at a moment like this?

* * *

Christopher walked back to the dressing room, exhausted, but in a way, happy. He finally knew who he loved more: Erika. She was the woman who made him into the man today and nothing could change that. He was the first person to truly love her and he was her one true love. He loved her so much that he would have searched the entire world for her if she didn't wish for him to not to. She was the woman who put all her feelings aside to make him happy and he was finally able to do the same for her.

"Father, you sang so well," Diana said as she entered the dressing room and hugged him.

"Thank you, Diana," he said as he kissed her forehead. "Where's your mother?"

"The last time I saw her, she was actually in tears."

"In tears?"

"Of joy, I presume," she said, but they both heard footsteps heading to the dressing room. Soon, they saw that masked woman with tear streaks on her cheek and mask. "Told you."

"I'm so proud of you," she said with a shaky voice.

"I'll go get the Girys! I'm sure they would want to celebrate," Diana said as she left the room.

"Oh, do be careful," Erika said with worry. However, she walked to Christopher and handed him a rose tied with a black ribbon. "So, you've finally chosen."

"Yes," he said as he took the rose and sniffed it, but he set the rose down as he suddenly gave her a kiss. Usually, she would have tried to break the kiss, but this time, she wasn't going to part. She wanted to stay like this forever. She finally knew that his heart was with hers and they couldn't be apart. The kiss would have lasted for a while, but they heard a knock at the door.

"Excuse me for intruding, but I wanted to congratulate Mr. Daaé," Nadir said as he entered the room.

"Nadir, will you keep your word and stop your pursuit of me," Erika said.

"My lady, you know I will always love you, but I clearly see that you two have a love that can't be compared. I saw how passionately he sang your song and it sounded like it written for you. He sang with so much emotion that even I was brought to tears. From this day forward, I promise to stop my pursuit of you."

"I'm glad to hear," Madame Giry said as she entered the dressing room. "Congratulations, Christopher," she said as she hugged him.

"Thank you, Madame Giry," he said with a smile.

"Where's Diana," Erika asked with worry. "She said she was going to find you two."

"I haven't seen her. Maybe Meg has," she said, but they all heard someone walk to the dressing room. Soon, they saw Meg, but she had a disgruntled look on her face. She had a hand over the bump on her head. "My goodness, darling! Are you all right," Madame Giry asked with absolute worry.

"I don't know. I was just minding my own business, but someone bumped me on the head and I fell unconscious. When I woke up, I had this note in my hand," Meg said as she showed the note. Everyone tried to take the note from her hand, but only Erika was successful, but what she read terrified her more than any torture she had ever endured.

 _If you want to see your little darling ever again, come to the pier. Nadir, Erika, and Christopher better come or else I will slit her throat there. I want to see their faces when I spill out my guts . . . or someone else's. Also, no police. If there are any, I will not hesitate to kill all of you!_


	12. Bittersweet

"Where are you taking me? My mother will be very worried about me," Diana said as she was being pulled by the arm. While she was searching for the Girys, this woman just took her away, saying she had a surprise for her set by her mother, but even Diana was started to figure out that something was off.

"It's all right, dearie. In a few moments, this will all be over," Annabel said as she kept dragging her through the streets. The pier was finally in her sight.

"Stop it! You're scaring me," she said with a frightened tone. "I can't swim!"

"Oh, I'm the bad guy, right? All I did was give and give and the one time I ask for something in return, I get rejected! It's funny how that works out. The world is a cruel place."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Little girl, you wouldn't understand even if a told you. You're too young."

"I'm not that young! Just tell me and maybe I can help," she said as bravely as she could, however, it was short-lived as she put a razor to her neck.

"I admire your innocence, but I've had enough out of you," Annabel said. This time, Diana started to cry out of fear, which caused her to sigh in annoyance, but soon started singing a tune she learned in her childhood:

 _The sea is calm_

 _The sea is grey_

 _It washes everything away_

 _Sink into the deep_

 _Blue and cool and kind_

 _Then drift off to sleep_

 _Let the past unwind_

 _Leave the hurt behind_

Soon, they heard footsteps reach the pier and the two of them saw a group of people with worry on their faces: Erika, Christopher, Nadir, the Girys, and . . . Katia. That poor blonde girl had tears in her eyes. She must have found Lilliana's body. "It's about time that you showed up."

"Annabel, what the hell is this?! Never did I ever say that doing anything to Diana was acceptable," Nadir said.

"I'm sorry, Nadir, but when you want something done, you got to do it yourself," she said as she grabbed Diana and put the razor to her neck.

"What would you be trying to achieve by doing this?"

"Please, don't hurt my little girl. She had nothing to do with this," Erika said with tears running down her cheeks.

"No, she didn't, but that's how the world runs. Innocent people get hurt while the wicked walk among us. That's what my life has taught me."

"Annabel, why are you doing this," Christopher asked, just as worried as she was.

Annabel giggled as she said, "You know, for the longest time, I thought the one thing that would make me happy was a family and I was so close to getting it. My love and I thought about having kids, but he died before we could even try. However, it turned out that one time was all it took. I found out I was pregnant and I couldn't have been happier, but even then, fate had different plans. I lost it and was in deep depression . . . and that's when Nadir came in. He saved me from the hell surrounding me and . . . maybe that's why I loved him."

"Wait, a person like you . . . could love Nadir," Katia asked. Annabel only scoffed and didn't say another word.

"Annabel, I'm so sorry for all of this. I only said those things in case Christopher didn't sing tonight. I wanted to be available for Erika, but I see that they truly do love each other and I called off my pursuit," Nadir said as he started to walk toward her, but Erika and Christopher held him back.

"Nadir, don't do this," Erika said.

"I'm sorry, but I have to," he said as he shook the two of them off him. He then headed toward her like anyone would do to a rabid animal. Christopher had a flashback when he did the same to Erika when she was considered dangerous, even to him, and thought, by some chance, he could get her back to the peaceful state she was once in. "Annabel, you know I do care deeply for you. You're a very beautiful and kind woman. Even when your heart wanted me, you were willing to help me win Erika's.

"That is a mistake I will never make again," she said, but loosed her grip on Diana as he got closer and closer to her.

"Annabel, I promise that if you let her go now, I will be the man you wanted me to be. I promise to love you and although this heartbreak hurts now, I promise to make it up to you by proving that I love you each and every day," he said as he kissed her, but the kiss was short-lived as Annabel put her razor into his chest. Erika and Diana screamed in horror, but all the rest could do was stare at the sight. Nadir backed away and clung to his blessing chest, but soon fell to his knees.

"It's too late for that, Nadir. There is nothing you could do now that would convince me that you would change," she said as he tried to scoot toward the fence of the pier, but she followed him, hoping to put him out of his misery. "For a whole year, Nadir, I have helped you with your little mission and not once did you ever see that you loved me! I was just a pawn in your game!"

"Leave him alone," Erika said as she pulled out her gun. The tears were running down her cheek and her hand was very shaky.

"You have to be kidding me. This girl, who is almost as sweet and innocent as her dear daughter, is going to try to kill me? Why, I don't think you have it in yourself to-," she tried to say, but before she could finish, she was shot in the chest. Erika might have had a shaky hand, but one thing is true: she never missed her target. Though, she did mean to shoot her in the head. Annabel fell on her knees and soon on her stomach, trying hard not to die, but it didn't seem to work.

"I forgot to mention . . . one thing about Erika . . . before everything . . . she was a circus assassin," Nadir said in between heavy breaths, but they were getting shorter. Erika ran to him and held him in her arms.

"I told you not to do that! What were you thinking," Erika said with tears falling down her cheek.

"I thought . . . I could calm the beast inside her . . . like Christopher did with you, but . . . I was wrong," he said.

"You didn't need to do that! She was far past saving."

"It couldn't hurt to try," he joked, but his laughs were soon taken over by coughs of blood. "I meant every word I said. . . . I was going to let you . . . and Christopher . . . be together. I was going to let you two . . . be the family . . . you were meant to be. I was so foolish . . . and didn't realize it until . . . now."

"Nadir," she said as she squeezed his hand. "You have been an amazing friend to me all these years. When I thought I was going to be alone, you were there to support me. You helped me raise Diana as if she was your own and I can't thank you enough for that. . . . I love you, Nadir."

Nadir chuckled. "I was dying to hear . . . those words . . . for ten years. Thank you, Erika . . . for everything." Erika then kissed Nadir right as he breathed his last and his life left him. Erika couldn't help, but cry even more knowing that a man who has loved her all this time was finally gone. He might have been rude or impulsive at times, but he supported and loved her all the other times. She couldn't believe that he was gone. Diana rushed to her parents and started crying on their shoulders. She saw him as a father figure while her father wasn't around, so of course she would be crying like a baby.

"He's in a better place now," Katia said as she approached the family. "I'm sorry it had to end this way."

Soon, they heard fast footsteps head their way and saw Rachel running to them. "What the hell is going on? I heard gunfire."

"I'll explain it all to you soon, but now, we have to bring Nadir Khan . . . to a mortuary," Christopher said.

"What happened? Did he die," she said, tears filling her eyes.

"Yes, by a woman who said she loved him," Meg said. Rachel covered her mouth in horror. Annabel killed Nadir? She never thought she would do that in her entire life. She was just as insane as everyone was warning her. The seven of them carried Nadir's body to the mortuary, tears falling from their cheeks to the ground below them. Lucky for them, the mortuary was not that far from the pier. When they entered, they laid him on a silver tray and said their last goodbyes.

"So, how did this chap die," one person asked as he was writing the death certificate.

"He died from a stab wound in the chest by a madwoman," Madame Giry said as the rest of the group went to say their last goodbyes to a dear friend. She was the most emotionally stable, so they believed she would be able to explain what happened more clearly.

"And do you know where this madwoman is at?"

"She drowned herself by jumping off the pier."

"And do you know her name?"

"No."

* * *

Annabel was still writhing in pain as the gunshot was slowly consuming her life. Blood was pouring out of her in large quantities. So . . . this was the end. This is how she was suppose to die; broken-hearted, alone, and will forever be remembered as the bad guy. "I guess fate . . . has a funny way of . . . repeating itself, right . . . Sweeney Todd?"

"I told you this would happen to you, Annabel, but you didn't listen to me, now did you," a familiar voice said. No, it was impossible. She looked toward the direction of the voice and saw a woman a black skirt, a button-down blouse, and a green scarf. She had curled black hair, but there was one thing unmistakable: those godforsaken green eyes.

"What the hell?! I thought . . . I killed you," she said in utter fright.

"Oh, you did a number on my neck," Lilliana said as she removed the scarf to reveal a pretty nasty scar on her neck, but despite it being a deep cut, it seemed to heal pretty quickly. "It hurt a lot more than I would like to admit, but it wasn't enough to kill me."

"That's impossible!"

"Believe me, dearie, it isn't. Katia is rather pissed at what you did to me and is glad you're dying."

"But you're fine! How is that possible?"

"I have Gods of Death on my side, but, do you remember when I said that your life would affect if I am able to stay here? Well, I'm afraid once you die, I must return."

"So you came here just to watch me die? Who the hell are you to even say such a thing to me?"

Lilliana smirked as she took out a file and read off, "Annabel Lee, born on December 26, 1860 and died August 13, 1887. She was the daughter of two cannibalistic parents who never killed people, but instead ate up the victims of murders. However, they were both tried and hanged for murder. She was taken under the care of Judge Turpin, but ran away soon after. Later, she met Mrs. Eleanor Lovett and years later, she met Benjamin Barker, or more infamously known, Sweeney Todd. The three of them, along with a child named Toby, ran a barber shop/pie business that put human meat into meat pies and served it to customers. Soon, she and Sweeney became a couple, but Judge Turpin lusted for her as well. One fateful night led to the deaths of Beadle Bamford, Lucy Barker, Judge Turpin, Eleanor Lovett, and finally, Sweeney Todd. She later traveled to Coney Island to avoid prison and possibly death with a man named Wilbur, but killed and ate him once they arrived. She was expected to have a child, but an accident led to its death and she fell into depression. Soon, she met Nadir Khan and they planned to win Erika Destler's heart. However, after a drunken night after she confessed her love to a man who didn't love her, not only did she kill her supposed love, but was also shot by Erika Destler."

"How the hell . . . do you know all that? Were you . . . spying on me?"

"No, that's what's in your file. I just read the summary. Your Cinematic Record is rather long for someone who is as young as you. You have had quite a life, Ms. Lee."

"You bitch! You've never . . . felt the pain of losing the one you love!"

"Actually, I have, just not the same way as you have, but I do know one thing: loneliness is a terrible feeling. That's why I don't want to go back to London. No one is there waiting for me. In fact, they are dreading my return. I'll be lonely . . . and it's all because of my stupid decisions, something you and I have in common," she said as she put the red stamp on the file. "But, Annabel, there is one more thing we have in common."

"And what is that," she asked angrily, but soon had a face of horror as she looked at her eyes that were once green.

"We both like the taste of blood," Lilliana said with red eyes as she pulled out her Death Scythe. "And we both have learned to control our bloodlust."

* * *

A month had passed since Nadir's funeral and although those days seemed depressing and colorless, some good things arose. First, Darius, who decided to stay after Nadir's death, was running the spice shop and made it even more successful than it ever was. Annabel Lee's barbershop home was sold to a family of four, the father being a barber, and they decided to keep most of the items in there, including the wooden box full of silver razors and a beautiful green dress that fit the wife. The Fantôme Theater and Phantasma resumed their normal schedules after they took a hiatus to settle down after that horrific night. Christopher even became the star of the Fantôme Theater and he even convinced Erika and Diana to stop living in the room behind the mirror and into a cozy little home for the three of them. Rachel and Christopher decided to divorce, but they remained close friends since she became his manager and was helping him book gigs all over America.

Not long after that, Christopher and Erika were finally able to get married and not just in their hearts. They were seen by a priest and everything. Many were there to watch their marriage: Diana, Rachel, Madame Giry, Meg, Darius, Jackson, Bianca, Wendy, Monte, Erik, though he was in the shadows since he saw other guests, Gangle, Squelch, Ms. Fleck, Katia, and even Christopher's cousin, Christine Daaé, or should he say, Christine de Changy, Raoul, her husband, and their beautiful boy, Gustave. Though, there were others, but those were the notable guests. Erika thought it was a good idea to invite Christine and her family, hoping that Erik would finally talk with Christine, but he was staying in the shadows the whole ceremony. Still, it was her special day and not his. Christopher was wearing a specially made tuxedo from a tailor while she wore the wedding dress she wore when they were first "married". The rings were the ones they have been wearing all these years, except they were specially cleaned for this day.

"And do you, Christopher Daaé, take Erika Destler as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in rich or poor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part," the priest asked.

"I do," he said with the biggest smile on his face. Erika couldn't help, but cry at those two words. She has been waiting for this moment all of her life.

"And do you, Erika Destler, take Christopher Daaé as your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold-,"

"I do," she said rather impatiently. She wanted to say those words for a long time. Everyone laughed and she calmed down as the moment they were waiting for has finally arrived.

"By the power invested in me, I pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss your bride," the priest said. The two of them finally kissed as man and wife and everyone cheered. The two have been "married" for ten years, but now, they were officially married. "May I present to you: Christopher and Erika Daaé!" They all cheered once again and then two walked down the aisle to a horse-drawn carriage. The two of them quickly entered it and they drove off to their wedding reception in Phantasma.

Everyone was enjoying the reception. Cast and crew, both from Phantasma and Fantôme Theater, were riding the rides that they wouldn't have been able to go on otherwise. Jackson was riding the roller coasters over and over again with Gangle, Squelch, and Ms. Fleck, Bianca was shopping through the many stores, and Monte and Wendy were sharing their first kiss on the Ferris wheel. Gustave and Diana were having a lot of fun, running around the entire fairground, making the parents a bit worried. The Girys were chatting with the many guests that arrived for this special moment.

Christopher found Katia standing by herself, watching everyone have a fun time, but she had a sad expression on her face. Christopher walked to her, which surprised her at first, but she tried to smile. "Are you enjoying yourself," he asked.

"Oh, yeah . . . I'm having a good time," she said hesitantly.

"I'm glad you took time out of your schedule to come to our wedding."

"Oh, it's no problem. My boss was willing to give me a day off after my last successful assignment."

"Right, you never told me what you do for a living."

"And I'm going to keep it that way. There is no reason for you to know."

"But I do know one thing: you and Lilliana have the same job," he said, but he noticed that she had an even more depressed face than before. "So, Lilliana did go back to London."

"Yeah, she left the day Nadir and Annabel died. She couldn't stay that long."

"I do wish that she could have come."

"Me too. She would have loved to come," she said before Erika walked to the duo.

"What were you two talking about," she said with a smile.

"Nothing really. I was just congratulating Christopher on his wedding. You look beautiful," Katia said.

"Oh, thank you," Erika said. Katia was about to leave their side, but Erika stopped her as she said, "Katia, I'm sorry for my behavior toward you. I was stressed out and so many things were happening that I lashed out at you. I hope you can forgive me."

"I forgive you. After all, we've both had some stressful days," she said as she left their side.

"Congratulations on your beautiful wedding . . . again," Christine said as she approached the lovely couple. As she approached Erika, though, she had a look on her face of discomfort. It wasn't that she was scared or anything, but it was because she reminded him of someone that she used to know. "I'm surprised that you invited your ex-wife to the wedding. Isn't that a bit awkward?"

"Not at all, actually. We both agreed that our marriage wasn't working out like we planned, so we decided to divorce. She is now the best manager I have ever had. She's already gotten me a gig in Virginia! Can you believe it?"

"I couldn't be happier for you, but you two seemed to get married rather quickly. How long have you two known each other," she asked with suspicion.

"I've known her for a very long time and I'm glad to finally call her my wife," he said as he kissed Erika.

"Oh, well, regardless, I'm happy for you two."

"So, how have things been with you since you worked at the Opera Populaire," Erika asked.

"Well, I think almost everyone knows what happened during that fateful night, but I've married my dear Raoul and soon, our dear Gustave was born. We became performers for hire at different opera houses and theaters."

"That sounds exciting. When is your next performance," Christopher asked.

"We haven't officially booked it, but we might be performing in Sweden sometime soon," Christine said with an almost fake smile.

"Oh, well, we should see you one day. Sweden may be a little far for us, but if you do return to France or even Spain or Italy, we would happily come and watch you."

"I would love that."

"Hey, where is your husband, if you don't mind me asking," Erika asked.

"Oh, he's probably at a bar somewhere. He likes to enjoy a drink wherever he goes," she said, making excuses for her husband.

"Oh, I should find Rachel. If we're not careful, she might be with him," Christopher said as he and Christine walked to one of the bars. Erika separated herself from the party to find her friend in the shadows, who was watching them this whole time. After all, this was his domain.

She made sure no one would see them as she asked him, "So, you don't want to talk to her?"

"No," he blurted.

"Erik, I know it's difficult for you, but it's been seven years. You need closure."

"How can I? She's with her husband and they have a child. What if I can't control myself and force her to be with me?"

"I'm sure you won't do anything like that. I just wanted the two of you to talk. I can arrange it so that no one can bother you."

"No, this is not the time for that. I'm sorry, Erika, but I don't believe I'm ready to do this. Please, go back to your wedding reception and enjoy yourself. This is your day, after all."

Erika sighed, but said, "All right. I'll leave you alone . . . for now," she said as she left his side. This was her day, after all.

* * *

The snow was falling down the Parisian town. Not much activity was filling the streets since no one wanted to endure the cold winter, except for one family of three. They finally reached their destination: the cemetery. It had been eleven years since they were last here, but they thought that it was finally time to visit this place. They explored other areas of the city, like the opera houses that burned down, but they were all refurbished or rebuilt into something else. According to people they talked to, they never ever wanted to repeat the Phantom incidents that they left behind. Erika even tried to find her secret passageway, but it seemed that they sealed it off, never to be used again.

Diana rushed into the cemetery with her parents not too far behind. They thought that it was finally time for their little one to learn about her family history and the best place to do it was an area where they were the closest to them. First was the tomb that held Gustave Daaé. They all entered and he said, "This man, right here is my father, Gustave Daaé. He was a very famous violinist at his time. He was the one who first allowed me to sing for an audience when I was a young lad. He was my life and when he died, it did hurt me, but he is now playing his violin in Heaven," Christopher said.

"Wow! This is grandpa. I wish I met him," Diana said as she placed her hand on his coffin.

"Me too, darling."

"Where's grandma?"

"Her grave is in Sweden. Maybe one day, we can visit her." After a while, they placed a rose with a black ribbon on it on top of the coffin had headed out. Now, it was time to visit the next grave.

"It's not much compared to the other one, but it's just as important," Erika said as she showed them the headstone in the shape of a cross. "This is Giovanni Destler. He too was a famous violinist at his time, but he was so much more to me than just that. When the world shunned my face, he was there to comfort me and when he died, I made sure to visit his grave every year and sing to him."

"How can he hear you if he's dead," Diana asked.

"I have faith that he can hear me in Heaven. After all, he sent me my Angel of Music."

"And my father sent me mine," Christopher said as he kissed his wife on the cheek, making her both blush and giggle.

"Maybe one day, I can meet my own Angel of Music," Diana said with hope.

"I hope so too," they said in unison. Erika then opened her violin case and took out her violin. She quickly tuned it and was ready to play a simple melody. "This is the song I would usually sing to him. You two should know this song by now since I sing it as a lullaby." They nodded and as the melody started, they took a deep breath and sang:

 _Say you will love me forever and ever_

 _Say you will love me through all my endeavors_

 _My heart will only beat for you and it will never cease_

 _For you are the only one who sees the human being in me_

* * *

 _ **The story may be over, but the question remains. What will become of the Daaés? How will Diana grow up, now that she had Christopher in her life? Will Erik ever try to communicate with Christine? So many questions, but only you can answer them.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for reading my story and I hope you enjoyed yourself. If you would like, tell me your answers to those questions and maybe a sequel will be written in the future.**_

 ** _Thank you so much! PhantomGypsy13_**


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